A Misled Lamb
by Thunderscourge
Summary: Dr Penelope Young is put in charge of seeing Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, and slowly comes to the conclusion that he is not insane and that the charges of him hurting others are most likely false. These are their sessions. Eventual dark Crane X Young. Prequel to Arkham Asylum. Joker, Two-Face Harvey Dent , Harley Quinn, Riddler Edward Nigma , Ra's and Talia al Ghul are here too.
1. Session 1: Introductions

A/N: Hello new readers! This is a story that I started as a "for fun" reason last summer, but has evolved greatly since then. With chapters originally about 300 words, I have evolved the story to recently have chapters no less than six times that on average and sometimes even clocking out at 5000 words. This story has evolved immensely, and to reflect my change in attitude towards it, I am going back to the beginning to revamp everything to the newer standards that I hold! This will include totally new scenes, details and story elements as well as character appearances of people that I only decided to use farther into the story. The major changes will be centered between chapters one to twenty and will be updated whenever the chance arises, my main goal still being doing regular updates (especially with the upcoming 50th chapter!) but this being a notable side project.

As a result of this revamp, I would love to invite new readers to give feedback concerning what they see as it will be dramatically different from what the original viewers have read in many places. Ideas, character suggestions, and constructful criticism are all welcome and I enjoy speaking with every single reviewer, so know that if you have questions or thoughts I will assuredly get back to you in some way, even if it means responding to people without profiles through chapter updates with a question answering section at the top!

So, I hope you all will enjoy this revamp in quality, for I believe you all deserve it as does the story itself! To show you the scope of how things are changing, this chapter was roughly 300 words prior to revision and now is 1800!

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><p>1. Introductions<p>

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><p>Gotham city was known for many things and many people, but the places it was known for were few and far between. Of course to every rule there is the exception, and for the dilapidated and decaying city that many deranged souls called home this exception was Arkham Asylum. Renowned not for the groundbreaking research held there by the new research team headed by one of the newer employees there, not for the help it provided to many twisted and troubled people, but for the way themed based criminals like the Joker and other so called "Gotham Rogues" resided there. The facility was nothing in comparison to the people it housed, with many different psychosis among them that made them interesting in the eyes of people worldwide. It was a testament to these villains odd charm and the fascination they rose in others that they received fan mail from people who sympathized with them and their various causes while they were committed to an asylum. Arkham was not only noted for the patient's popularity, but also for the inability to keep said patients inside the facility. The Joker had broken out of it enough that the wealthy Bruce Wayne had begun to contribute millions of dollars worth of security funds and equipment to the asylum to keep its criminals inside the walls. This, in the end, was a futile battle as the mad clown and the other inhabitants always found a way out.<p>

That is if they were, in fact, looking for a way out at all.

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><p>Dr. Penelope Young slipped on her lab coat and buttoned it up slowly, letting out a sigh as she did so. Today she apparently had a new patient, although she wasn't sure as to whom it was.<p>

Whoever it was, they were apparently having some problems with their previous psychologist Dr. Stephen Kellerman, and so they had been reassigned last minute to her, much to her chagrin. She had many things to go over with the Titan project and seeing another patient would take time away from her pet project. Titan was what was keeping Arkham reputable as far as research went, with few people knowing the exact practices used to test it but many interested in how it could assist people in their psychological treatment. As head of the research team at Arkham, Young's reputation lay completely at the mercy of this project and anything taking away from it thus got in the way of her career. For a person focused on their career such things got on the nerves of Penelope greatly, especially when she was merely taking over the duties of another doctor who could not handle his own patients.

Picking up a clipboard and pen, she walked out of her office to go check on said project. The patient was supposed to be meeting with her in an hour, so she had a little time to check on her project before she was interrupted by her other duties. Bane may mind the extra visit and the extra probing, but Young could honestly care less for what the hulking brute disliked. He was awfully rude, especially considering that the minor tests run on him would end up benefiting hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide one day. Such selfishness made Penelope mad, but then again she could expect no less from a criminal of all people.

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><p>When an orderly entered Jonathan Crane's extreme isolation cell and looked at the criminal he freaked out, seeing something in the man's hand that sent chills down his spine, "No, please, don't!"<p>

Crane laughed, enjoying the fear but not really feeling in the mood for this man's anxiety at the moment. He had a new doctor and as such his thoughts were based entirely on what to do to them. In his hand he held a syringe, but his entire body was restrained by multiple belt like restraints that tied him to a board. Jonathan was unable to harm anyone, making the orderly's fear ridiculous, "Oh quit being so pathetic, this is an empty syringe I found on the floor when I was tied up earlier. What do you think I'm going to do with it? Give you someone else's disease?" Noticing the man's severe drop in fear caused Crane to realize the reason for it in the first place. Speaking in a low whisper Jonathan spoke in the creepiest voice he could manage, "Oh, you expected fear toxin. Would you like some?"

The orderly felt goosebumps raise on his arms at the mere mention of the dreaded toxin, but he ignored them as he unfastened the patient. Usually a guard would assist with this to assure that nothing went wrong, but the orderly had arrived later than expected due to another patient's psychotic episode and as such had no guard with him. The guard was predisposed holding down Victor Zsasz while waiting for more security, but the orderly feared what doctor Young may do to him if he was too late, "Just come on already! We're late to your appointment!"

Jonathan rose an eyebrow as he the last restraint was removed, allowing himself to be released without any fuss so that he could get to torturing, erm, meeting, his doctor faster, "_I'm_ late, or _you're_ late?"

The exasperated look the orderly gave only increased the high Jonathan was feeling as a result of the lowly man's anxiety. To mess with him more, Jonathan spoke mockingly and sarcastically as the orderly tried wrestling Crane into a straightjacket, "I have no ability of my own to leave my maximum-security cell and travel all the way to my doctor's room all by myself," giving a loud laugh Crane added, "I need you for that."

The orderly grunted in frustration, "Stop being difficult or I'll get your medicine changed!"

"You think that I actually take that pill you put in my food meant to reduce psychotic tendencies? Keep thinking things like that and you'll end up in here with me."

The orderly forced the straightjacket on fully and snapped, "Be quiet!"

"Oooh, am I getting under your skin? What is wrong? Do you fear that you may end up in a place like this one-day after dealing with oh so many crazies like myself? Or is it that you feel uncomfortable when your dominance is challenged by those who you think you have power over-"

Having completed the process of putting Crane in his straightjacket, the Orderly threw his hands in the air and yelled, "Shut up! You're driving me nuts!"

Jonathan replied snarkily, "That's the point, genuis."

"Why you little-"

Before the orderly could throttle him, Jonathan spoke quickly, "Hold it. I don't think my new doctor wants her patient to be man handled before our first session."

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><p>Dr. Young sat in her office chair, breathing a little heavily because of how she had run from the research department back to the office in a hurry. She hadn't noticed how quickly an hour had gone by, and determined not to miss her appointment she had rushed back to see himher.

Shifting uncomfortably, she wondered where her patient was. Usually an orderly would have brought them by now, for they were fifteen minutes late, later than she herself had been. Could there be a riot slowing things down? Not likely. Not enough noise and no alarms had sounded. Well, what could be taking them?

A knock on her door caused the harsh doctor to frown and to mutter about how hard it was to find good help these days. In walked a man with a straightjacket and a noticeably frightened orderly who was visibly shaking as he brought the patient in. Nodding to Dr. Young, the orderly quickly turned around and scurried out of the door.

The man in the straightjacket sat himself down on another chair, forgoing the couch. Young took a look at him and was a slight bit surprised. He was tall and slim, a perfect example of a lanky man. His jet black hair was ruffled and strewn about randomly, as if it hadn't seen any attention in some long time. His eyes were a steely blue, possessing an oddly calm and gentle look to them. His mouth was neutral, although the right corner of his mouth had the beginning of a smirk on it. His skin was sickly pale, contrasting his hair completely and giving the impression that he did not venture outside often.

Overall, he perfectly met the physical profile of Dr. Jonathan Crane, one of the newer inmates in Arkham Asylum. Penelope knew all too well of the man's reputation, but had never actually seen or spoken with Crane before and as such never had a true impression of whether the rumors about him were true. Now actually interested in her new patient, Young cleared her throat and decided to open up a conversation with the former psychology professor.

"Hello Mr. Crane, my name is Dr. Young."

Crane smiled lightly, responding, "I see that I need not introduce myself. It is a pleasure to meet you Doctor Young. I have never had a doctor who wasn't an old, annoying man before."

Young was a little perplexed by the response, but took it as a good thing that he was willing to speak with her. Some other patients were not quite so talkative and made sessions drag on unnecessarily, "Well, I promise you I am not old, a man and I will do my best to not annoy you. So, where do you wish to start?"

Crane held back his initial reaction of saying that she already was annoying him, for he needed a level of respect from her for the moment. Jonathan had decided after Kellerman that he would come up with a new method of messing with his new psychologist's mind. To enact certain ideas he may come up with he had best keep on her good side for the time being, for he could always become antagonistic later but being seen as a good patient could go sour quickly.

'Now, he thought, how am I going to go about driving this one stark raving mad and perfectly fit for joining the inmates and I on this side of the Asylum?'

Oh, and managing to accomplish it while also extracting some level of fear from her would be enjoyable beyond belief for him. Seeing burly men cry and quiver before him as he drove them insane through simple words reassured Jonathan that this woman would be an easy target, especially since he had mastered the practice of driving doctors insane about three doctors prior to her. Kellerman had been smart to transfer him to this other poor doctor. Crane's smile grew a little as he thought to himself, 'Oh yes, this is going to be fun.'


	2. Session 2: Pen and Paper

81. Pen and Paper

Cenophobia- Fear of new things or ideas

Graphophobia- Fear of writing or handwriting

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><p>Jonathan Crane was now in his second session with his new psychiatrist and was still formulating as to how he could make her scream in fear while also going insane, without using an already used method. He had already tried taking over sessions through making the psych's question their reality twice, and both times it resulted in little screaming. The game was not fun if it did not result in a fearful and cowering psychiatrist. And not having cenophobia, Crane was definitely looking for something new to try out.<p>

She spoke to him, her voice professional and detached, like he was just another patient she had to cure in order to move up the ladder. From what he had seen, she was not overly caring and intimate with her patient, the opposite of a certain Harleen Quinzel who had taken a bit to much liking to a patient. No, miss Young was quite a cold specimen, but had a slight interest in as 'promising' as him…now, how could he use that to his advantage?

As she probed him with some minor questions about how he was doing and how he felt, Crane's mind spun as he examined the room. Oh what you could tell from how one puts things in their room or office.

A diploma hanging on the wall, revealing her as a graduate of Gotham University. And by seeing her young age and knowing of her high position at Arkham, it would not be a daring assumption that she graduated with flying colors, likely high honors. Not unlike how he himself had been…

"Mr. Crane, are you still listening?"

Crane saved face as he snapped back to attention. Oh yes, now he knew how to go about this. He watched as Dr. Young scribbled something on her clipboard with her pen, the doctor without a doubt taking note of how he had stopped paying attention and likely coming to some sort of conclusion that he had social issues, possibly a fear of social activity. He had heard Young had a reputation for overanalyzing things. Crane, eyeing her pen, actually had a slight bit of graphophobia after seeing what the Joker would do with any writing utensil he could find…the Clown's magic tricks were sickening. It is one thing to cause someone to claw their eyes out in fear, it was another to see someone shove a pencil through a man's eye socket. No fear, nearly instant death. Just a former professor retching in fear a few feet away…his own fear was tasteful and beautiful, but his own bile was not.

"Yes, Dr. Young, I am still attentive."

Young nodded at her patient, "Alright then. I'll ask again then, how are you today?"

Crane gave a small smirk and looked her straight in the eye, "Fine actually. Very, very, fine, actually."

Crane was mentally thinking about the details of this new plan. If he didn't set the legwork now, it most likely would fail, so leaving the good doctor with an equally good impression these first sessions would be vital…


	3. Session 3: Light

3. Light

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><p>"Mr. Crane, I have read that you worked at Gotham University and your dismissal is what started your crime spree. What are your feelings on that topic?"<p>

Jonathan Crane looked directly at Dr. Young, focused on her and making eye contact with her. This pleased her, because she had no patience for difficult patients. After mulling over an answer for a moment, Crane replied, "I would be lying if I were to say my leaving Gotham University was a strong influence in my becoming Scarecrow. It was the breaking point in which I decided I had had enough."

Young nodded, thinking about the implications of that. Curious, she decided to inquire him, "What do you mean you 'had had enough' and that it was the 'breaking point'? Were there other negative influences in your life that caused you to do what you did?"

Crane shifted in his chair, his straightjacket shifting as he did so, and averting his gaze to the floor as if in shame, "Well, at first it was just family issues, and everyone has those to some degree. My mother abandoned me when I was young, leaving me with my Grandmother who happened to be an overly religious zealot whom happened to dislike me greatly," he paused for a moment as he continued to mull things over. "I never knew my father, but I suppose he could have just been some fling my mother had or left before I was born. The possibilities are quite endless, but in the end it does not truly matter. Likely he was like my mom in that having an unplanned child was not a very promising idea. I learned that my mother only had me because my grandmother had forbade any form of abortion. So I was her unplanned, unloved child."

Dr. Young could not help but feel a little shocked by his confession on multiple levels. Such confiding was unprecedented by any Arkham patient, except for the Joker, but then again the clown man did not count.

Young quietly thought to herself that this might actually be working. Already her patient had shown significant progress and they were only in their third session…

Tuning back into reality, Dr. Young realized that Crane was still talking.

Crane moved his gaze from the floor to his psychiatrist, letting out a small sigh, "Over the years my Grandmother would come up with new techniques to punish me and my 'sins'. This included beating me, nearly drowning me in the bath, and her favorite, leaving me in an abandoned barn that had hungry birds in it. They were drawn to attacking me by a shirt she made me wear in there. That was probably the beginning of my Scarecrow persona. I was fearful on the birds, I was fearful of my grandmother, and later I would begin to fear the other children in my neighborhood."

Dr. Young's eyes widened noticeably. Did he mean that he had been bullied by his peers? "Mr. Crane, do you mean that you were bullied?"

The patient nodded, a slight scowl forming on his face, "Yes, viciously. I was picked on for things such as my height, my slim stature and other things such as the worn nature of my clothes."

Young nodded, now a little bit personally invested, and Crane continued, "Sometimes they would just rough me up, but as I grew older more violent acts took place. One day I ended up having my head shoved through a glass window because I had a pair of ripped and old jeans on."

Dr. Young frowned. People like those deserved to be locked up…she found that she had a small hope inside her that at least some of them were at Arkham or some other institution. They had no right to do what they did to her patient.

A knock on the door and an orderly politely opened the door and stepped in, two security guards behind them. The looked at Dr. Young and tried their best not to look at Crane, "It is time to bring Mr. Crane back to his cell miss Young."

Young nodded, saying good bye to her patient and watching as he was led out of the room by the three Arkham staff members.

Looking blankly at the ground, Dr. Penelope Young could see that there was a chance that her patient could be cured. She looked down at her clipboard and gave a sigh. There was a ray of light in this asylum of the criminally insane after all.


	4. Session 4: Obsession

71. Obsession

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><p>"Mr. Crane, would you care to explain to me your obsession with this Scarecrow persona? What purpose does this roleplaying serve?"<p>

Crane looked at her with a small smile on his face. He was still in the process of stringing her along. His new plan involved slowly making her trust him and believe that redeeming him was possible…only to then crush whatever aspirations and hopes she had on the subject.

In the mean time, he had to instill that hope as well as psychoanalyze his psych.

"Well, I would have to say that I don't care much for the whole roleplaying bit myself. I am however still obsessed with it as are many of the criminals here in Gotham. My reason for obsessing over 'Scarecrow' is that the mask has become a symbol of fear, and as such it accomplishes my main goal, to instill fear in all others."

Dr. Young nodded and wrote something down on her clipboard. Crane wondered what she was writing…it wasn't as if he couldn't ask Joker or someone else to find it out for him, but he would rather not owe anyone anything. Especially not in a place like this. Besides, it would be more fun to find out in his own ways.

"Furthermore, my mask is very useful when it comes to my fear gas. It helps amplify my victim's fear while also providing me with a way of protecting myself from my own creation."

Young nodded at the mention of his fear has, writing something else down on her clipboard. The way she wrote it off on the side interested him. He once did the same thing when he had treated someone…only he had been writing down a side note on their fears and how effective his fear gas, back then not as potent, may be.

He stopped talking and began to think, 'What could she be writing down now?'

Young cleared her throat before responding to his silence, "What is the reason behind your drive to instill fear in others, be it patients, inmates or just random people?"

Crane was interested by her approach. She was interested in _why_ he did it instead of the common "how could you do that" or "what is wrong with you, you horrible human being" that he got from others, especially his psychologists.

'This is too easy.'

"There can be many theories behind my need to make others fear me. One of the simpler ideas is that I am suffering from my childhood where I had been bullied, my poor family life and what I would go through as an adult would all work together and make me a crazed man who wanted to make all others suffer like I once had to."

Young nodded and continued to write on her clipboard. Crane noticed that she had shifted uncomfortably when he mentioned his hardships.

'Maybe she suffers from a similar past in some form and my mentioning it makes her remember her pain and suffering. This could come in handy…'

"So, Mr. Crane, how did you cope with your childhood before turning to crime? Was it hard to put up with bullies, your family?"

Crane gave a slight smirk. Why yes, this was going well. At this rate she would be putty in his hands. A few more sessions, and he might even be able to subtly divulge a phobia or two.


	5. Session 5: Sick

85. Sick

Thank you Anii for the review! I may be very busy these days, but I made some time to write the next chapter just because of you! Thanks!

Also, thank you for reading everyone else of the 150+ readers I have had so far.

Sorry about how brief this one is. I have some upcoming ones that are a good deal longer than average, but they are not yet chronologically.

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><p>Crane was definitely sick, that was absolutely for sure. He admitted to liking other people's fear. But being sick was exactly why he was there in Arkham. He needed to get better, and from a certain perspective she could see that it might just be possible that he could get 'better'.<p>

Penelope Young continued to let her mind wander as she scribbled down notes on her notepad about her secret Titan project. The project's aim was to make it so weaker patients could undergo more intense ways of treatment and so Young was constantly trying to find out things about her compound and how it effected patients.

She looked down at her notes and sighed. Maybe one day she could make a do-all medicine to help sick people like Crane. They were sick people, that was who they were and likely how they would be no matter what they went through in life, so a treatment for that would be superb. And with funding from Mr. White, it would all be possible…

Young gave another sigh and looked at the clock. Her meeting with Crane was in half an hour and she ought to get ready.

If she could treat a sick man like Crane, who couldn't she fix that wasn't already mentally vacated?


	6. Session 6: Sport

Sorry about the lateness everyone. I have been quite overwhelmed with schoolwork and family matters the past month and have not really been in the mood for writing...oh, and I'm ticked Scarecrow wasn't in Arkham City. Oh well. Hopefully next time (and there will be a next time!) he will have a full appearance.

Special thanks to Brenediction for the review! This one is for ya!

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><p>51. Sport<p>

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><p>"Did you ever play any sports during your childhood, Dr. Crane?"<p>

Had he ever played any sports? Did she seriously just ask the anorexic looking inmate if he had played any sports in his childhood? He sighed. She had…shouldn't she have deduced that the answer was no from what he had said in his other session?

"Well Dr. Young, I never was able to try out for any sports because I was always bullied by the more athletic of kids and I feared that I would have to suffer more of their ridicule and beatings if I ever did."

Young nodded, a slight crease forming on her lips as she wrote something down. Crane decided to take this opportunity to get to know his future 'patient'. The more he knew, the better he could manipulate and torture her.

"Did you play any sports when you were younger, Dr. Young? Or other activities for that matter?"

He stressed the doctor title, doing his best to sound polite and genuine. It wouldn't do to simply disrespect her like the others, for that would not let him get inside her head the way he wanted to.

Young seemed slightly surprised by his question, but she decided to respond nonetheless, "Well, as a matter of fact, I never did participate in any after-school activities when I was younger. I was only focused on my studies and I saw sports as a frivolous waste of valuable time."

Jonathan nodded, his face appearing interested but his mind a bit bored by her statement. He already knew she was a bit elitist and overly serious, so he hadn't learned anything new really.

Briefly contemplating just doing his normal routine of reverse the doctor-patient roles, pick away at their fears and then gas them, Jonathan Crane sighed. No. He was going to see this through to the end. Young was going to be broken.

"Now Dr. Crane, why don't we continue talking about your past. You mentioned you couldn't join a sport because the athletes all picked on you. You also mentioned that they beat you. How come you never reported them to the school or the police?"

Crane sighed. Yes, he would see this through to the end, even if that meant he had to relive his past he had so willingly left behind, "I would agree that under normal circumstances the reporting of such events would have been a wise decision, but here in Gotham one would have to be as deranged as Joker to think it would work. The police are corrupt on every level, the schools are run down and no-one enforces their rules because the kids often are armed with small firearms or knives."

Young grew a frown. Her mother had always told her that Gotham was the paragon of corruption and decadence. Having gone to private school her entire life due to academic grants, she had not experienced the harsher sides of Gotham that many of the city's inhabitants had to grow up within.

"Well, let's not dwell on your childhood then. How have things been more recently?"

Crane was going to enjoy crushing her spirit.


	7. Session 7: Safety

Thank you all my readers out there! It means a lot to me that so many people are reading this story, and even more when one of you writes a nice review! So thanks a ton! I'll hopefully have 1-2 more done by tommorow night, so I hope you enjoy this until then!

Also, special thanks to Storm-Shadow for your very kind review!

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><p>97. Safety<p>

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><p>"If I could so inquire Dr. Young, what is it that makes you feel safe in this place? Is it the metal bars separating you from the more dangerous inmates? The straightjackets put on the more notorious ones such as myself? I have an odd time fathoming why someone would willingly choose to work in such a dilapidated and dangerous environment."<p>

Young decided to choose her words carefully in her own head before she replied. She knew that Crane had a knack for divulging information from people and then using it against them, so she believed that being brief in her responses was vital. At the same though she thought that to help his recovery, it might be best if she did reveal a little about herself.

"Well, I do feel safe here because the most psychotic and dangerous inmates are medicated and bound when I meet with them as well as safely locked away when they are not. And as for why I am working in this job, I am sorry to say that there is no one answer."

Crane nodded lightly and looked Young in the eye, "Do you feel a certain discomfort while meeting with those known as the 'Rogues Gallery', such as myself? For example, do you feel more uncomfortable around the Joker than say a regular inmate?"

Dr. Young stopped again to think, trying to formulate an appropriate response, all the while trying to avoid Crane's gaze unconsciously, "Well of course I do. While a regular inmate may be a severe danger in and of themselves, the ones labeled as a part of this so called 'Rogues Gallery' are often smarter, more lethal or simply more dangerous. It would be odd if I wasn't more uncomfortable around them."

"Would I fall under that list, Dr. Young, of those who give a higher level of discomfort?"

Penelope was left totally off guard by his remark, however easily foreseen it could have been. She was struck by the fact that no matter what she said, it would reveal something about her. If she said yes, then it would mean she did not have faith in her patient and it may hamper he efforts to reform him. If she said no, then it would mean she was beginning to place faith in a criminally insane man. If she said nothing, then it would mean she was insecure about how he would respond to either.

"Well, Dr. Crane, I suppose that you are not as malevolent as the Joker or Zsasz, and you have not shown the twisted nature the other doctors all mentioned, so I would say that I feel less uncomfortable around you than I would Zsasz. I still think you are more likely dangerous than a normal inmate however."

Jonathan nodded, a neutral expression shown on his pale and distant face, "That is understandable," looking down at his straightjacket he formed a frown, "But if that is so, why am I still as restrained as the Joker?"

Young grew a similar frown, "That is because I do not yet fully trust you."

Having directed the conversation in the direction he had wished it to, Crane's frown vanished, "If one wishes to earn trust, they must first extend some. Would you mind if I was let out of this for the remainder of the session? I wouldn't mind still remaining chained to my seat, but the outfit is quite irksome."

Young's frown grew for a moment before becoming a neutral expression again. Inside her head she was weighing the possibilities of what might happen should she do this, and many of the scenarios she could imagine were not pleasant. At the same time however there were multiple guards outside the door waiting in case anything did happen…

She didn't even realize that she had gotten up and had started walking towards him until she stood by his chair. Noticing what she had done, she froze for a moment. What was she thinking? She had absentmindedly walked over to a supposedly unstable patient and almost let him free of his bonds.

"Having second thoughts?"

Ignoring him, Young weighed the possibilities and their outcomes.

Seconds later Jonathan Crane was free of his straightjacket. Stretching his arms, Crane gave a faint smile. The smile made Young a little uneasy, but she still walked back to her seat and uncomfortably picked up her notepad when Crane spoke.

"Why thank you Dr. Young. This is far more comfortable."


	8. Session 8: Alone

Thank you to Brenediction for the review, and thank you to the other 200 readers out there! There may be another 1-2 tonight if I can get the next one written...I finished #10 a while ago. Hope you all enjoy!

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><p>99. Alone<p>

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><p>Crane scoffed. He was currently in a special form of solitary confinement, known as 'extreme isolation', that was saved for the most notorious of criminals. In fact, he and the Joker were the only two inhabitants of the area and the Joker was usually under heavy medication. Even when Joker was lucid he was usually off kilter because he was…well, he WAS the Joker. Crane hated sharing a general living space with the clown, but permitted it only so that he could get certain…benefits.<p>

Because extreme isolation was _supposed_ to be impossible to break out of, and there were no known possible ways of doing so, there were never any guards around. And Crane had found a way out…by using the key of course. After setting the clown loose on an orderly who had come for them, Crane was able to grab the necessary keys and gave the rest to Joker, who promptly lost them. Wishing to save face the orderly never reported the incident, only showing up the next day to work with severe bruises and cuts (Crane had stopped Joker from killing him, saying that by allowing him to live Joker would get to have more fun with him later, an idea Joker was gleeful over).

Crane could now come and go from his supposed cell freely, just as long as no one was looking for him. And no one was ever looking for him except for the time each day allotted for his meetings with Dr. Young. Who would seek Crane out unless it was absolutely mandatory?

Because of this freedom, Jonathan now found himself sneaking his way towards his secret lab that he had set up the second time he escaped his cell. He encountered few people on his way and was able to sneak past them all without a hitch.

After minutes of travel he found himself inside his lab, completely alone. Here he could work in peace. Here he could make his own contribution to science. Here he didn't have to have pointless conversations about why two equals fish with the Joker. Here…he felt in his element.

Having always been alone, Crane took pleasure out of this simple luxury.

The novelty of it all wore off as soon as he realized he was supposed to be meeting with Young in twenty minutes…he forgot that she had to change times after an episode with a patient. It would be some nameless nobody who would ruin this for him…they always would have to inconvenience him.

Crane sighed. Well, he could enjoy it for another minute. Then he had to head back…he cursed.

People sucked. Not that he had a social phobia or anything. People were all naturally selfish and bad he convinced himself. Even Young was selfish...she was trying to use him to get fame and boost her own career.

So, he reasoned, that if even the people who try to help others are selfish, people were all selfish and bad. Especially when they inturrupted his experiments.


	9. Session 9: Storm

96. Storm

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><p>Astraphobia-the fear of lightning and thunderstorms<p>

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><p>Dr. Young shook as a bolt of lightning tore through the sky. The brief flash and the sound that always accompanied it shook her to the core every time ever since she was a child for some reason. She knew it to be dangerous, but she also knew it was not a threat while she was driving in her car. The rubber insulation of her tires protected her from electricity…at least she thought. It had been awhile since she had learned about electricity in school.<p>

Penelope gave a sigh as she drove towards Arkham Island. Crane likely would get a kick by her fear. As she continued on she thought reasoned that it was that particular behavior that she had to cure Jonathan of.

"Astraphobia."

Young rose her eyebrow at his sudden outburst in their session, "What was that Dr. Crane?"

Crane looked at her impassively, "Astraphobia. You look like you were perspiring and I doubt you ran a good deal before our session. So, astraphobia."

Young nodded. At least he wasn't demeaning her for her fear…although that didn't mean he wouldn't soon.

For now, she was content that her patient hadn't tried to drug her or torture her like he had all of his other doctors, "Do you know all of the names of different phobias?"

"Why yes I do in fact. It wasn't all that hard to remember most of them, since the fear of arachnids is arachnophobia, and so on and so forth."

Young gave a light smile. Crane may be obsessive, but from her diagnosis he didn't seem very crazed, "That is impressive though to know every single phobia. Have you ever catalogued which ones that you are prone to?"

Jonathan gave a somewhat twisted laugh out of habit, "I have conquered my own fears. I do not fear anything in the way you may be thinking."

Young's brow crumpled, "I find that hard to believe. No fears whatsoever?"

Crane shook his head, "No, no I have plenty of fears. I just know how to overcome them. I have never encountered a fear of mine I could not find a way around, even the severe ones."

Dr. Young tilted her head for a moment, "Have you suffered from anxiety disorders in the past?"

Pausing for a moment, Crane continued, "Yes, as a matter of fact I have. I have over time learned how to overcome them though."

Young's face didn't show it, but she was beaming. If her patient could overcome multiple anxiety disorders, some of which were probably severe given his obsession over fear, he could most definitely overcome his predilection for causing fear.

And, if Crane could do that…well, Penelope surmised that she may just benefit from the experience of having cured a Gotham Rogue.


	10. Session 10: Riddle

Three updates in one day! I'm on a roll! Happy Halloween everyone! Guess who I was this Halloween? You get three guesses, and the first two don't count. It was quite fun acting like I was part of the scenery at a Halloween party and then jumping out and scaring people! I am pretty sure there will be a few scarecrow related nightmares in the nights to come based on the screams I got...

I decided that the cast needs a new addition! I bet you can't guess who by the title! So yeah, I've been thinking that only having the two doctors would get boring after awhile, so here is the first cast addition. I hope you enjoy Edward Nygma!

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><p>98. Riddle<p>

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><p>"Riddle me this Mister Crane, what is it that walks on four legs, then two legs and finally three?"<p>

"A human child, or rather a human being, but I heard the audio tapes with Doctor Young. I for one do not care about the mutilation of a human child, in fact it is delightfully frightening, but seriously? Not good for a first patient interview," he paused for a moment as he poured something from one beaker into another, "Eddie, is this dilapidated asylum making you as stark raving mad as the Joker? I don't like being interrupted during experiments, and I do not particularly like riddles. So make this worth my time or I'll have a new test subject today."

A middle-aged man with brown hair smiled at Crane, "If you insist on me being blunt, then I will do so. I am curious as to how you escape your 'extreme isolation cell' so easily."

Crane continued to mix chemicals in front of him on his work table, not having even turned to look at his guest, "That is a trade secret. Anyone can do it. It just requires a little…finesse."

The Riddler rose an eyebrow and scoffed, "And by that you mean that you have used a low potency fear gas on the orderlies that escort you from place to place and they bend to your every will? I know they changed your lock the other day when the Joker killed an Orderly, so I know the key you once had is now useless."

Crane sighed. Nigma was such a know it all, "Why bother asking if you know the answer?"

Edward Nigma beamed at Crane, glad that he hadn't been thrown out yet and taking it that he wasn't going to be anytime soon, he sat down on a chair across Scarecrow's lair, "To open up a conversation my friend. It is not often that I can escape my cell, and less often that I get the chance to visit. How goes your experiments?"

Crane continued to not face Riddler and still focused on his chemicals, "Reasonably well. Three doctors raving mad, six orderlies scared to death and another who died with a new fear gas strain I just finished that is nearly untraceable and also incurable…so far. Leave it to Batman to figure out a way…not like it's already hard enough to actually _make_ it, he'll always find a way to get around or cure someone of it."

Nigma shrugged, "Our foe is talented in that regard. He is not known as the best detective there is for no reason," shifting in his chair, he faced some pieces of paper tacked to a billboard, "How goes your most recent experiment?"

Crane again continued to look at the fear gas he was brewing, "I just told you, I finished my new strain, now I-"

Riddler wagged his finger at his fellow rogue of Gotham, "You know that's not what I mean. I've caught wind of your plan to drive our poor doctor nuts. Not that that's anything new of course…but Jonathan, may I ask what you are planning with Doctor Young? From what I've read on your file and heard in the tapes, you are seemingly opening up to her. Don't tell me the fearsome Scarecrow has gone soft?"

Crane turned to face Nigma. His burlap mask may cover his face and expressions, but Nigma could tell the man was frowning, "Of course not my esteemed colleague. I am simply trying a new method of torture. I wish to gain her trust, learn her innermost fears, and when everything inevitably goes to hell here, I want her to know that I've been stringing her along, that I plan to make her suffer and scream in fear at the mere mention of Scarecrow. I plan to create a new strain just for the occasion."

Nigma let out a sigh and shook his head, "Jonathan, is all of that truly necessary? I get the whole point of not being repetitive, but the method seems a bit…well, you said to be blunt, so I will be, risky and unlikely to occur how you hope it to. Wouldn't it be easier just to make her question her own reality and take over the sessions like you usually do?"

Crane shook his head, "No, Doctor Young is prideful and is using all of us as a stepping stone to get to higher places. But more importantly, she actually believes that some of us can be cured. So I plan to make her feel broken before I end her life. I am sure that somewhere in her overconfident manner there is a fear of failure…"

Nigma gave a wry smile, "Well, I for one am all for overcomplicated schemes and plans. I didn't think you the type though, but who am I to judge? I expect for you to keep me updated on this though. I for one would like to see our doctor suffer. She is more fragile than she lets on."

Jonathan nodded, "I will. Now let me get back to work. How will I ever complete the formula for Young with your incessant talking?"

Riddler nodded and stood, but his wry smile did not fade, "It takes two to converse my friend."

"Just get out before I test this unfinished gas on you…and I haven't created an antidote yet."


	11. Session 11: Sacrificial

Sorry about the long update time! I've been a bit busy with school and all, so I've been a little negligent to my writing as of recent.

Thank you Brenediction and Storm-Shadow for the very kind reviews! I hope you enjoy! Oh, and thank you to the hundreds of readers I had around Halloween! Your support really helps me keep writing!

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><p>57. Sacrificial<p>

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><p>Dr. Penelope Young was absolutely certain about one thing, and that was that some patients needed an increase in their medication. And some needed a lot more than others.<p>

Take her current patient for example. Mr. Victor Zsasz was in dire need of a medication increase, especially after this little…incident. Young tried not to act afraid as the sociopath killer broke from his bonds and put a knife to her throat. What Zsasz's purpose behind this hostage taking was left Penelope confused. If Zsasz truly wanted to kill her he would have done so earlier in their 'session' when he first put the knife to her throat. Instead, he just stood behind her with his blade ever so close to her jugular for the past forty five minutes, slowly going through his own tragic and twisted tale of how he came to have all the scars notched into his skin, how he came to be the sick being he was.

The orderly that brought Zsasz there was cowering in the corner of the room, Zsasz having 'suggested' that he stay. Young felt disgust at the man. What idiot would forget to have Zsasz of all people in a straightjacket?

Ignoring the sniveling man in the corner, Young was worrying that no-one was coming to help. Zsasz had cut up the two guards outside, both still alive but badly wounded, and neither Penelope nor the orderly had any chance to have a call for help. So what was Zsasz planning?

"I see that you are growing curious as to why I am taking you hostage Dr. Young. Don't worry. This doesn't concern you, at least not directly dear doctor. So don't worry…well, unless someone decides to not keep his appointment."

Still confused, Penelope kept quiet so as to not provoke the mad killer into doing anything. If she just kept quiet, maybe someone would bring her next patient and realize her situation-

Her thoughts stopped right there. Her next appointment. Did this have to do with whatever inmate was about to arrive?

Young had been extremely busy and had not checked what her schedule was like this week, ever since it had been changed to accommodate some of the newer inmates. Who was it that was next on her list? That had to be why Zsasz was doing this.

More minutes passed as Zsasz continued to tell his tale, intermitted stories about how he carved up innocent people also told throughout the tale. Despite the fact that her patient was 'opening up' to her, it was not the ideal type of doing so…there were much _easier_ ways, like how Crane was slowly opening to her, like a big clam.

Wait she thought, had she met with Crane ye-?

There was a cry of surprise from outside the door, a cry that sounded like one of the orderlies who brings inmates to their sessions. The door, having not been locked due to Zsasz's own intrusion, slammed open and Zsasz laughed crazily.

"It's nice of you to show up Dr. Crane…if you had taken another minute I may have just grown bored of this game and my hand may have just slipped a little. Oh yes, the feeling of dragging cold steel across a nice, warm throat would be just wond-"

Penelope gasped as Zsasz's grip tightened on her, the blade pressing right against her throat.

Jonathan Crane walked into the room, straightjacket undone, his face neutral, "So, dimwit, what is this about?" Behind Crane in the hallway Penelope could see the orderly that escorted him on the floor, unconscious, "I heard that you were complaining about me yesterday and I was curious what the killer with no MO would have in store for me."

Zsasz let out another laugh, "Well my fellow rogue, I've been itching to carve another notch ever since I've been put in here. But killing orderlies and guards just isn't doing it for me…then I had a wonderful idea! What if I killed another rogue? That must be the thrill I've been missing!"

Jonathan shook his head, "Why couldn't this take place in a less…public space? Victor, I am a little disappointed that you have dragged others into this. What need have you of these hostages?"

Zsasz pulled his knife off of Penelope's throat and pointed it at Jonathan, "Oh, I just needed to make sure I would have an audience with you, and I knew you would be here at this time, right after me…I have to say though, they are like poor, sacrificial lambs in the scheme of things. They won't last much longer than you will."

Jonathan's brow creased the slightest amount, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Now, Victor, I am sure that you had a visit by Eddie recently. Surely, you must have learned a few of my tricks by now…what do you think was on his gloves when he ran a hand over your scars when he asked about them?"

Zsasz only had a second before he started to shake uncontrollably, dropping his knife and screaming. Jonathan looked down at Zsasz as he rolled around on the floor wildly, screaming in pain, "Keep your mouth shut next time and maybe you'll have a bit more luck. Mentioning that you would attack me when we changed sessions to Calender Man was quite a poor mistake...you could not imagine what types of things go through the grapevine. It took a little convincing to get Eddie to poison you, but he saw you as the smallest threat out of the rogues and so it wasn't the hardest thing in the world. He hates simpletons, and your own lack of IQ was a key part of my argument. Then I just had to concoct just the right thing to go off at about this time…see why these games are played by us _adults_ Victor?"

Guards rushed into the room, having heard the orderly scream before. Jonathan turned to one who was checking on the convulsing Zsasz.

"You're welcome."

Young had a guard who was talking to her at the moment, asking if she was fine, but she paid no attention to the guard who took his sweet time to arrive.

Had Jonathan Crane, the infamous Scarecrow, just saved her life?


	12. Session 12: Wrath

Thank you for the review Brendiction! I hope you and everyone else enjoys this chapter!

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><p>12. Wrath<p>

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><p>Pulling his mask on, the Scarecrow walked towards a man who wasting away in solitary confinement , who was in fact rocking in his cell quietly, a look of terror on his face. Using a key he had slipped off of a guard earlier that day, Jonathan Crane strolled into the cell, closing the door behind him so as to keep some privacy. The guards were currently distracted by a small riot led by the Joker, a riot that Jonathan had actually talked the Joker into doing…all it took was to say "Because it's Wednesday" and the clown was perfectly fine with causing some chaos.<p>

Brandishing his glove with fear gas syringes, Jonathan grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

"So, Zsasz, we still have a score to settle."

The man cowered in fear, but made no moves to resist his visitor, "Yo-you poisoned me!"

"But that simply paralyzed you for a short period of time. I believe you did have the intent of killing me. Quite a difference I would say."

Zsasz regained what little composure he had and broke into a sick grin, "I'm not scared of you Crane…you and I have history here. I just have to think back a little ways and all my fear of the 'Scarecrow' fades away…"

"Zsasz, I am going to enjoy making you scream in terror. In fact, when I'm done I may just give you to the Joker to let him have his fun. Do you like the sound of that?"

The psychopath's grin grew, "Do you know why I chose you to be my first victim Jonathan?"

"Would it happen to do with the fact that I was the person who claimed you insane and thus befitting of Arhman rather than Blackgate?"

"Why yes, very good Doctor. I was originally pleased to not be placed in Blackgate since I thought the people here would be so much more interesting. But…over time, I realized that I couldn't just go and kill people here. At Blackgate it would just be an everyday occurrence…so, I decided that for keeping me from killing so many more deserving victims I would kill you."

"I thought you said that you wanted to kill the 'interesting' people when we spoke in Dr. Young's office? You're contradicting yourself Victor."

"Well of course killing high class criminals such as yourself would be so much more enjoyable than simple vermin in a place like Blackgate, I wanted to pay you back for the missed opportunity Blackgate presented. I could have spent some time there, killed some filth, and then been sentenced here where I could go after the more interesting ones."

"So this is your petty revenge? You're pathetic."

"Oh contraire, I chose you for another reason as well!" Scarecrow grabbed Victor by the throat and began to squeeze his neck. Victor, getting the message, decided to divulge his other reason, "Out of all the supposed first tier criminals in Gotham, you have to be the biggest joke! You are what, at most a hundred and fifty pounds and you look translucent! At least Penguin has financial power and man power to back himself up. You? You're just some weakling who runs around gassing people to make them afraid of little poor Jonath-"

Slamming Victor's skull into the wall, the Scarecrow placed a syringe near one of the veins in Zsasz's neck, "Enough!"

"Aww, does the poor doctor dislike the truth? I promise I'll stop talking about you…"

"What makes you think I'm going to let you keep talking?" Crane rasped.

"I've gotten this far, haven't I? Now, a couple of the others and I were curious. We've heard about your current…experiment with our good doctor. With all of your recent good behavior since you switched Psychologists, we were just wondering if Johnny was crus-"

Jonathan cut him off by stabbing Zsasz with a syringe containing a triple dose of his most non-lethal fear gas. It would make the man scream and be terrified, but it would have no long term effects. After their little 'scuffle' the other day, Zsasz coming up dead out of the blue would make people suspicious of him. And suspicion would ruin his ongoing experiment if Young thought he was being dishonest with her.

So for now the sociopath had to suffer, and suffer he would…just like Young would in the end.


	13. Session 13: Family

Boy, I'm in a bit of a plot related mood aren't I? Hope you all enjoy!

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><p>46. Family<p>

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><p>Penelope sighed lightly as she said goodbye to her current patient, Dr. Crane, as he was led away. They had briefly discussed the prior day's events, Young thanking him for what he did. Crane's response had been that the confrontation had nothing to do with her and since she was dragged into it because of him, it was his duty to get her out of it. They had moved on after that and Young remembered something important. She was not going to be at work the next few days due to a family reunion…<p>

Young grimaced at the thought. Not that she didn't wish to see her family, but because she would be away from her ongoing projects for an extended period of time. She spent day after day in Arkham, working to ensure their success and now she would be separated from them…what happened if something went wrong with the Titan formula? What if Crane relapsed into his evil ways when he wasn't being looked after by the only psychologist who would see him? Young was worried for those things.

Taking in a deep breath, she decided that if something did happen, she would just correct it upon coming back. After all, no Titan experiments were supposed to occur, and Crane seemed awfully stable recently, so everything should be fine.

Taking a glance at a picture on her desk, Young smiled lightly. The family that rose her, the Young's lived pretty close by and she saw them when she could. Ever since her real mother had passed away she had lived with these friends of the family, and they had raised her like their own daughter. Her real father had always been busy when she was younger and Penelope had never felt all that close to him. The past couple years he had popped into Gotham and visited her, and to her surprise he was a very nice man who she felt comfortable with having as her own father. He paid off all of her college debts for her, helped fund her research, and even helped refer her to her current job as Arkham Asylum psychologist. She was very grateful to him and enjoyed being around him, even if she could barely remember him from when she was younger. He even brought her special, rare flowers that could only be found in certain regions of Asia. Penelope felt a slight bit guilty for the amount of affection he showed her, but she was extremely grateful for what he had done for her.

From what she had learned from her mother, in the few years she knew her, and from her father's own recalling, Penelope's parents met in Asia and fell deeply in love. Penelope didn't believe in love at first sight, but the way her parents said they got together, it seemed as if it did truly exist. Tragedy struck the young couple when their house burned down while Penelope's father was away on business. He would go years thinking that he had lost his family, not knowing that Penelope had been at the house of the Youngs during that event. He disappeared for some time afterwards and the Youngs adopted Penelope, having not heard from him after the event.

After first meeting with her father in a long time, Young had learned that she also had a half-sister, Young's father having married someone else after he lost his first family. Young had only met her once but had instantly disliked her sibling. The half-sister seemingly looked down on her when they met, and Penelope hated feeling lower than someone else.

Luckily for Penelope, her half-sister was not coming with her father for the family reunion. That would definitely make things better…

Crane had been her last session for the day, so Young began to pack up her things so she could leave. Her real father was picking her up soon, and she intended to be ready by then.

After minutes of packing, an orderly knocked on her door and came in.

"Dr. Young, there is a Henri Ducard here for you."

Young thanked him and turned to pick up her things.

Well, she thought, it's time to go. I hope Crane doesn't mind that I am going to be gone for a few days…and I hope no-one screws up my Titan project. A few days won't screw anything up, will it?


	14. Session 14: Away

8. Away

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><p>Jonathan Crane chuckled lightly, albeit in his own sick way. He was not a believer in the phenomena known as luck, for he knew that days such as this when everything went just right were few and far between, but they sure were nice when they did occur. He always did keep in mind the fact that less common events that had great rewards were seen as happening more often than they actually were, such as a person winning the lottery versus the thousands losing it, and people tend to misjudge the overall probability of such things.<p>

But a perfect day…could he ask for anything more? Well, it would be truly perfect if he wasn't stuck in the wretched place known as Arkham, but realistically it was the best day for him in almost every regard.

Today, he had received a new shipment of his fear gas supplies. Crane has been running low on them as of recent, his last shipment having been canceled when the Batman had caught wind of an underground trade system in Arkham. Cursing the Bat, Crane had had to stint for awhile with what he had. Now, he could make some new fear gas to replace those that had begun to lose their potency and to maybe experiment with some newer types of his signature gas…

Today, he bore witness to Two-Face attacking Zsasz after flipping a coin…it had actually landed good side up, so Zsasz was only sent to the infirmary just after having been released from solitary confinement. Dent was angry with Zsasz for attacking one of the few other inmates he had an understanding with, and Crane got to watch a show of Harvey beating Zsasz to a pulp. Served the dimwit right for endangering the plans of the Scarecrow…Jonathan took note that he would have to be sure to keep a better eye on his doctor. To have her killed off by one of the other inmates would just ruin a long term experiment, and that would not do.

Today, Riddler had decided not to bore him with inane questions and problems. That was always a plus to any day. Despite the fact that Crane found Riddler more tolerable than some others, it wasn't saying much given the presence of many inmates like Joker, Zsasz and Killer Croc…Eddie was simply the smallest of many evils. Crane would gladly choose listening to some riddles now and again to being shown a magic trick involving pencils...still, a day without an annoying Eddie is an amazing day.

And lastly, the cream of the crop, Dr. Young was away visiting her family today and as such they would not be having their regularly scheduled meeting. This gave Crane a more flexible schedule…and since he had just received his supplies, early in fact, he was already formulating how exactly to spend that time…

If he had a way to make this day any better it would have to be being anywhere but Arkham…or even continuing his ongoing Project Young, but that would mean she was here and would thus cancel one of the other benefits of the day.

Crane let the faintest smile grace his lips, a glint in his eye. Maybe he could continue his work on the new fear gas strain…the one he was saving for a certain petite doctor.


	15. Session 15: Misled

Thanks to 9aza for the review! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! I meant to upload it this morning, but after working 18 hours straight I still had to go to school...then I slept...then now! So here you go! I extended it a bit to make up for this.

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><p>72. Misled<p>

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><p>Dr. Young was feeling a lot better than she usually was when she met with her patients in Arkham. After her small vacation she felt rejuvenated and ready to attack her projects with a renewed vigor. She had said goodbye to her father that morning as he left to go on a business trip concerning Wayne Enterprises, and while sad to see him leave, she felt much better having seen him.<p>

Her first few patients went by fast. They all talked about the same thing, Victor Zsasz getting beaten by Harvey Dent in the rec room. Zsasz had to be sent to the infirmary where he was found to have multiple drugs running through his system, but none were lethal. Young inferred that after Crane had pre-poisoned Zsasz he had injected himself with chemicals hoping to drown away his failure.

Speaking of Crane, they were in session now. He was sitting down quietly with his straightjacket undone, as had become common in their sessions. The act of trust had not backfired on her thus far, as Jonathan had not done anything threatening in any session thus far (at least not to her…Zsasz had it coming though).

Young listened as Crane talked about what was on his mind, taking notes on her notepad pertaining to their current session. Upon a slight reference to it, Crane had begun to talk to her about chemical formulas and giving her many facts that she had not known beforehand…if she didn't know better, she would say that he was a genius psycho pharmacist.

His knowledge was not solely focused on the mind, and in fact it stretched quite far beyond that. Upon prodding, he told her about some formulas of steroids and how they could also be used…

Young tried to write down what he was saying at a normal pace, but her mind was racing to keep up with the former Professor's ramble of ideas and formulas. Throughout all of it, Young felt very satisfied; not only had her patient started to open up and immerse himself in his treatment, but he was also fine with giving her valuable information.

After what seemed like only a short time their session ended and Crane was led away by an orderly as per usual. After he had left, Young added one last note to her collection of scribbled thoughts.

**GENIUS at Chemistry**

**Would he have something to contribute to 'Titan' research?**

Once she was done writing, she had a knock on her door quickly followed by Dr. Stephen Kellerman entering.

Young frowned at her fellow doctor's intrusion, "What is it Dr. Kellerman?"

Looking at her with a slightly concerned gaze, Kellerman spoke, "I came to talk to you about your newest patient, Crane."

Young furrowed her brow in confusion, "What is it that you want to discuss about him?"

Kellerman returned her frown, "The Zsasz confrontation the other day…Crane supposedly poisoned Victor before it happened, a preemptive strike so to speak. Where could he get the chemicals it would take to poison Zsasz? Has he mentioned anything to you?"

Penelope shook her head, "Nothing. I'm just glad that he took down that maniac. It was scary being held hostage like that…Zsasz isn't known for being patient, and if it weren't for Crane I am pretty sure there would be a new duty roster here."

Kellerman guffawed, "You are ignoring the fact that he knocked out his orderly…"

"He saved my life. Do you think I really care that he knocked someone unconscious to do it?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Well then why are you here asking me about all of this? A week ago I was being held at knifepoint by a psychotic killer. I wouldn't have cared if it was Two-Face who saved me, I'm just thankful that someone actually did."

Kellerman's frown only grew, "Yes, I hear that we're getting an increased amount of security so that something like that doesn't happen again. But moving on, how are your sessions with Crane? None of your records show any signs of his typical behavior. His tendency to take over sessions is well known. Has he at any point tried to?

"No, not at all. Crane has been the most open and willing to engage in conversation out of all my patients except Nigma, but he is a broken record with his riddles-"

Kellerman cut her off, "Stay on topic. Is Crane doing anything out of the ordinary whatsoever? The twisted, insane man always has some sort of plan and I am just trying to find out what-"

Now Penelope cut him off, her brow now furrowed slightly in anger, "I would hesitate to call him insane. Joker is insane, whereas Crane-"

Cutting her off once more, Kellerman rose his voice a little, "He tortured dozens of innocent people with his drugs and planned to harm many more. He dresses up in an odd costume and runs around in it. He is most definitely insane."

Young scowled, "Well then we're free to have our own positions. From what I have observed, Crane is just a man who has gone down a dark path and needs help recovering from it."

Kellerman shook his head and groaned in disgust, "Be careful, Young. He is much more dangerous than he has been letting on," with that, he left the office and Young sighed.

Thinking briefly about it, was it possible that Crane was just stringing her along?

Shaking her head roughly, Young discounted the idea. She had never been misled by a patient before, and Crane was no different even if he knew psychology unlike the others.

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><p><em>AN: The line in bold is a line taken directly from Young's notes of Crane in Arkham Asylum._


	16. Session 16: Childhood

Special thanks to Quelara for favoriting this story and to Brenediction for the review! Hope you guys enjoy, and to those who celebrate it I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving!

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><p>48. Childhood<p>

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><p>"Dr. Crane, you've mentioned your childhood a few times. Do you want to talk about it?"<p>

Jonathan couldn't stop himself from naturally frowning at the mention of his childhood, although he repressed it to a slight turn of his lip. With a neutral voice, as if he were to inject emotion into his voice it would reveal his current emotional state of being, Crane spoke, "I do not particularly care for my childhood, but I understand it's psychological importance and if you wish to delve into it I will do my best to answer your questions."

"Okay then. If you don't feel comfortable answering something, just tell me and we can talk about something else. I'm not here to make you feel uncomfortable."

Jonathan shifted a little in his chair, "So, where shall I begin? I fear there is a lot of material to cover in this brief hour we have to talk."

Young cleared her throat, "Well, how about we talk about something less uncomfortable, like your friends or people you were close to?"

Crane's gaze grew steely, "That will be an easy thing to talk about…there were none."

Penelope's eyebrows rose to form an upside-down V, "No-one?"

Jonathan's eyes grew slightly distant as he replied, "Absolutely none. The figures I had in my childhood were…A mother who never wanted me and would later abandon me…A grandmother who made it her purpose in life to beat me to an inch of my life for no reason much of the time…A father who abandoned me before I was even born…Bullies at every turn in my school and neighborhood…I was never emotionally close to any of these people."

Slightly flustered, Young averted her eyes as she responded, "I'm sorry. I thought that maybe…well, I guess it doesn't matter. Why were you bullied? You don't look the most physical of people, but you by no means appear to be the sort who would be bullied relentlessly."

Jonathan shrugged, letting out a light breath before he spoke, "I was bullied mainly for my odd looks, my horrible upbringing, and my intelligence. I was the top of my class, yet I received no respect from any of the foo-," catching himself on the derogatory term, he changed what he was going to say, "Um, _people _who made up my peers. In fact it only added onto my horrible reputation with people seeing me as a know-it-all who looked down on others due to their lacking intelligence," looking right at Young, he continued, "While I did look down on my peers, it was because of their shortsighted views, goals, thoughts as well as the way they had been treating me since elementary school."

Penelope had brought her gaze back by now and was now meeting his look uncomfortably, still embarrassed by her inference, "Your bullying issues go back that far?"

"At that age other kids only cared that I was a freakishly tall and lanky kid who did not fit into their mental schemas of 'normal'."

Regaining her composure, Young spoke in a comforting tone, "It must have been hard growing up with people like that around you," her tone changed, now containing traces of anger in it, "I remember the morons who looked down on me years ago…I take some solace in the fact that most of them are either working for minimum wage in some burger joint or in Blackgate," Young laughed a little, "And those are the better off ones…many live in the Narrows these days."

Crane took note of what she was saying. Did she mean that-"You were bullied as well? Whatever for, Doctor?"

"Oh, just some stupid things…they would rib me for being the valedictorian, the jealous fools. Others made fun of me because of my plain looks. Because I decided to not look like a common bimbo like all the other girls I received quite a lot of insults for being 'Miss Prude'."

Crane did his best to restrain himself from showing his amusement. His doctor was only helping things go along all to well. Still, he felt a bit sorry that someone else had to go through the scourge known as bullying, but not enough to rise a real emotional response from him, "Bullies are the bane of adolescence. There may be laws and rules to attempt at getting rid of it, but they have little effect on how things actually are. Those who are bullies will still bully others, they will just find ways to make it less noticeable."

"Exactly, especially in cities like Arkham where crime is rampant. Who will care if some kid is being bullied if there is an armed robber down the street?"

Jonathan was genuinely surprised by his doctor, "The world is a flawed and corrupt place. There are many people who are suffering, unheard and uncared for. The largest tragedies in my opinion are where there is help to be given but none is. Gotham is one such place."

"I had a similar talk with my father the other day. I think that it is possible that this place can be helped if people actually cared, but the fact is that no-one does. Not enough at least to make a difference."

Whoever this father of hers was, Jonathan felt some respect towards the man, "The only people who seem concerned with the town's wellbeing are Bruce Wayne, who due to company reasons has it in his best interest for the town to be in good shape," his face grew a little darker and his voice reflected it, "and the Batman, who is fighting a never-ending war on crime."

Sensing her patient's current emotion, Young decided to change the subject, "Well as we were saying, bullying is a severe issue that should be dealt with. They cause some people severe mental trauma that persists throughout their entire life."

"Preaching to the choir I believe is the correct terminology. When I was younger I started studying people and their minds so that I could better understand why they acted so cruelly…in the end I was disgusted behind all the different petty reasons people felt compelled to shame others."

Young nodded, "Be it feeling's of inadequacy, personal issues or simply superiority complexes, they are all pathetic. There is no reason behind such behaviors that could actually justify the damage done."

Before either the patient or the doctor could continue, an orderly stepped into the room, "Dr. Young, your next patient is here."

Young waved the man away and spoke to her patient, "Goodbye, Crane. I must apologize about what you had to go through. I hope you realize that there are people who want to help you here."

If he wasn't on good behavior, the Scarecrow would have just burst into a fit of laughter.


	17. Session 17: Advertisement

Special thanks to Black391 for the awesome review, favorite and watch! They all mean a lot to me!

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><p>95. Advertisement<p>

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><p>"Oh, what's this?"<p>

Picking a piece of paper off of the floor, Young looked at it to see the unscarred face of Harvey Dent. The poster was one of the absolutely flaky "Believe in Harvey Dent" ones that plagues Gotham when Dent campaigned to become District Attorney.

"What is it you have there Doctor?"

Young looked up to see Jonathan Crane standing in the doorway, his orderly closing the door behind him, "Oh hello Dr. Crane. I just found a poster laying on the floor. Mr. Dent must have dropped it as he left."

Young walked over to Crane and unfastened the man's straightjacket, as per usual, "Thank you Doctor," casting a glance at the poster, he rose his eyebrows the slightest amount in curiosity, "May I have a look?"

Young looked down at it and handed it to him with a shrug, "Sure, why not. It's just a god-awful advertisement."

Crane nodded as he took his own seat and Young went to hers, "I remember these…back when I was a professor I also did some work with the courts. I heard quite a bit about the rising Harvey Dent. Even met him a few times. Seemed like a nice, courageous man who was willing to stand against the mob."

Young was surprised by her patient, "You knew Dent before Arkham?"

Crane tilted his head a little and gave a small roll of his shoulders, "Well, I knew him a little. I got to know his assistant a bit better…Rachel Dawes was it?"

Penelope gave Jonathan with a befuddled look, speaking in an annoyed tone, "Rachel Dawes? I remember her from my high school…she and I didn't really get along."

Jonathan's eyebrows rose higher than they did before, "That pleases me to hear. Ms. Dawes was quite the thorn in my side…she pestered me on every little thing I said in court concerning whether people were insane or not. She even questioned me whether Zsasz was insane, something I don't think I need to convince _you_ of that do I?"

Penelope smiled grimly, "She was an idealist who treated those around her horribly…as much as I hate to admit it, I don't really miss her now that she's gone."

Jonathan grew a minute smile as well, "Yes, I would have to agree. I for one do not enjoy pointless death, but I was not in attendance at her funeral…partly because I was busy getting cozy here in Arkham and partly because she was the one who helped put me here in the first place."

The psychologist, well the one who wasn't declared legally insane, tilted her own head, "Wait, Dawes was the one who helped put you away? How?"

Jonathan glanced away for a moment as he ran a hand over his face, "She wasn't involved with actually prosecuting me…she was more busy with taking down the mob with her beloved Harvey. No…instead she tasered my face while I was fighting the Batman. It caused the electrical components of my mask to short circuit. To put it simply, she electrocuted me."

Young frowned, "What do you mean electrocuted? As in you received a little shock, or-"

Crane cut her off, "She nearly fried me. My face has some minor scars from the incident, but the sheer humiliation is the part that irks me…here I was, the fearsome Scarecrow, and I was reduced to screaming like a little sissy because some district attorney's girlfriend had a taser."

Young's frown began to fade into a neutral look, "Well, that part of your life has passed, right? You won't be tasered by anyone now since it's over."

The smile that Penelope received unsettled her greatly. Crane smiling and still mantaining his nigh emotionless features did not sit well with her, "Yes. Yes it is."

What was _with_ that smile?

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><p>AN: I personally didn't like Rachel Dawes in the Nolan films...she came off as a bit pretentious and a bit of a b#$% in The Dark knight, especially to Bruce. If you like, I'm sorry, but when she died I felt bad for Harvey...not her.


	18. Session 18: Desert

Dedicated to Black391 for another great review! Hope you and everyone else enjoys!

Alethophobia-the fear of the truth

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><p>60. Desert<p>

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><p>"If I may ask Dr. Young, why is it that there is more sand in here than a small desert?"<p>

Young growled lightly and kicked some sand that lay in front of her foot, "I was meeting with Clayface. He managed to break out of his cell, but it was just as I arrived to see him. In the ensuing chaos I wound up with sand all over my clothes…"

Crane looked over his doctor, noticing the vast amounts of sand that had found refuge in her clothing. Noting her tone, "I take it you do not like meeting with Clayface?"

Young shook her head, "He angers me greatly…not only does he waste time imitating other patients of mine, he also imitates the staff and I mockingly."

Jonathan thought about it. Was she afraid of having her identity stolen? "Are you afraid that he will attack and replace you?"

Young shook her head, "No, that's not it. It's just…the way he portrays me gets on my nerve. He claims to be such a great actor, yet he only can exaggerate people or do them horribly."

Jonathan nodded absentmindedly, his own thoughts concluding. _Alethophobia. That's what it is. _

In a slightly comforting tone, as comforting as he could actually manage, Jonathan spoke, "So you think he acts your part incorrectly? What does he do that you find wrong?"

"He…I am not the resentful, cold and calculating academic he portrays. I may not have the most patience admittedly, but he takes it all to the extreme."

Jonathan looked directly at Young, feigning disbelief, "Why of course not, Dr. Young. You aren't filled with spite and malice, and neither are you manipulative. I believe Clayface must simply have gotten the wrong impression of you. He usually is such a good actor."

As she looked into his eyes, Young squinted as if she were trying to focus on something, "Thank you Jonathan. I guess that my sessions with Karlo might go better if I act differently than how I have been towards him. Maybe then he will have something else to go off of and I won't have such a hard time dealing with him."

Crane gave his light smile, his eyes distant and cold as ever, "Why that sounds logical. Now, out of curiosity, has he attempted to portray me at all?"

Young took a breath in slowly and exhaled it at the same pace before she replied, "Why yes, he has. He doesn't seem to have you down at all…when Karlo takes your form he acts as a totally unstable maniac who constantly threatens those around him with promises of living nightmares and endless torment."

Jonathan opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out instantly. If Young didn't care to actually notice that he actually did say things like that and was more than a little unstable, then who was he to argue? It made his goal all the more possible.

"Thank you for your vote of confidence Doctor. Many others here would simply write me off as a different flavor of the Joker."

Young nodded, and for some reason Crane got the feeling that she was uncomfortable, "Yo-your welcome. I'm sorry that I've wasted some of our time talking about my own issues with another patient. Is there anything in particular you want to talk about now?"

Crane mentally added alethophobia to his list of fears his doctor had, all the while wondering what it was that had his doctor so nervous.


	19. Session 19: Spit

Special thanks to Cherry ripe and Black391 for the great reviews! Hope you all enjoy!

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><p>16. Spit<p>

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><p>Penelope looked at her schedule. Her current patient was in solitary confinement, Mr. Dent having been put in solitary after his infamous coin came up on its bad side…he had been given a new orderly and the stupid man had insulted Dent without thinking. As a result, the coin was flipped and the orderly found himself with his head going through a window. Her next appointment, with Crane, was in forty minutes and she had some important work to do in regards to her other projects.<p>

Seeing as she had so much time before she would be seeing her next patient, Young decided to rush to her lab. Checking that she had everything, Young grabbed her clipboard and sped towards her scientific workplace.

Dr. Young looked down at the clipboard she held in her hand. Attached onto it were papers with various numbers and graphs, all with various notes scribbled in the blank space left.

Looking up at her 'patient', Young scanned his body to check for any abnormalities, "So, Bane, how are you feeling-"

His body fully restrained, the hulking man seethed at the doctor, punctuating each word, "Get. Away. From. ME!"

Young frowned. He was never compliant, but sometimes he would at least not resist her tests, "If you don't cooperate then this will only take longer-"

Bane leant as far forward as he could with his numerous shackles, "I _will _crush you 'Bruja! When I get out, I _will _BREAK you!"

Young put a hand on her hip, scoffing at Bane, "As if that would happen. You are the one who is locked up Bane, and I don't intend on letting you get anywhere near me."

Surging forward, his shackles nearly being pulled from where they were fastened, Bane let out a guttural bellow, "WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT 'BRUJA!"

Taking a large step back, Young held her hands out, "Bane, please calm down, we have work to do-"

The venom-crazed man did calm down, although he was still seething, "You act so self-righteous and pretentious…I pity you," spitting at her, Bane regained his ferocity, "but I will still kill you when I get out!"

"Someone, apply some sedatives to Bane. I cannot work with him while he is like this."

* * *

><p>As Penelope strode into her meeting room she saw that Jonathan was already in her seat. Hastily taking to her own seat, she failed to recognize that her patient's straightjacket was already undone.<p>

"A little late aren't we Doctor?"

Young took a moment to breath, "I must apologize for my tardiness. I was busy and could not get here in time for our session."

Crane nodded, "It's alright. Everyone runs a little late now and again."

"Thank you for your understanding. Now, is there anything you want to ta-"

Cutting her off, Crane spoke, almost stating rather than asking, "You were meeting with Bane, weren't you?"

Penelope was caught off guard by his statement/question, "I-I, why yes, I was. He is helping us with some research, but he isn't very cooperative. How did you know?"

Leaning back in his seat, Crane closed his eyes while he relaxed in his chair, "Well, you seemed a little put off when you came in, and your shoulder is drenched in what I am guessing is sweat. Given the fact that you were obviously elsewhere, I simply guessed that you were working with a patient who was not a regular one such as myself. And of the not regular ones, I narrowed it down by who could instill such fear in you and who could actually manage to leave spit on you. Simple deductive reasoning."

"I see…well, anyways lets move on. We can extend this sessions a little to make up for my late arrival."

"That is most gracious of you Dr. Young."


	20. Session 20: Two Guns

Special thanks to Black391 for reviewing the last chapter as well as to everyone else who has supported this story so far! We are roughly 20% done now, and I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter as well as the upcoming ones! Can anyone guess who is going to be the co-star of this chapter? I'll give you two guesses, and one of them doesn't count.

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><p>45. Two Guns<p>

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><p>Jonathan looked around him with mild dislike of what he saw. Sitting in the recreational room, the group he found himself surrounded by were not Rogues who he normally wished to associate with. Firefly, Killer Moth, Ratcatcher, Black Mask, whatever the hell the shark guy's name was, and the infamous Joker…who was busy asking Ratcatcher why he couldn't catch the flying rat that sent them all here.<p>

Trying to ignore the others, Jonathan thought of his current fear gas projects as well as-

"Hey Johnny, how are you doing?"

Crane turned to find himself looking at two faces…that shared one body, "Why hello Harvey."

The new arrival sat down across the table Jonathan sat at, taking seat in one of the bolted chairs. Harvey Dent was one of the only other Rogues that Crane had an ounce of respect for, for he both respected Crane's skills as well as being an old acquaintance before the two of them were considered Gotham's Rogues, "We're doing well. Our session just ended and I noticed that a of ours looked lonely in here, so we paid the orderly off to let me come in here now. Then we paid the orderly who is watching in here to look the other way. The security guards don't know any better, so we didn't pay them."

Crane rose an eyebrow, "You have gone to some length to just come and visit me. Anything in particular you wish to talk about?" Thinking for a second, Crane added, "And you just had to pay off two orderlies, didn't you?"

"Yes, and yes. Recently we had some people remind us of our past…apparently we prosecuted them in the past and they weren't that happy with us."

Sensing the general direction where this conversation was going, Crane let out a very small sigh, "What was it that they talked to you about?"

Harvey leant towards Crane, "Listen, we were just curious if you would show them their place…permanently, and preferably with no-one finding out."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes, "This wouldn't have to do with-" seeing his fellow Rogue grow very uncomfortable, Crane decided to not mention Rachel Dawes, "I think I could manage something…I have quite a lot of free time. I'll devise something for you. Harvey, if you need to talk about anything though, you are probably the only Rogue here I would see as a patient..."

Harvey Dent, not Two Face, was definitely the one talking right now. Crane liked seeing his old friend, but it was not side that he truly respected. Two Face was the frightful one, with his face instilling a level of fear in nearly anyone. This matter was a Harvey issue though, so the polite lawyer was the one who was at the reigns, "Thank you Jonathan. It means a lot to us, and if we feel the need to see someone you'll be the first we come to. Now, do you want to be compensated for the materials you will need or-"

"No, I do not need compensation because A, I have an abundance of supplies, and B, I know you'll get your coin out if I ask for money."

"You know how we work. We would expect nothing less of the head Rogue psychologist. Now, I'll have someone bring you the photos of the two people you will have to be dealing with. Thank you for helping us with this."

"It is no problem Harvey…you know how I always need more test subjects. If you woulnd't mind me asking, why is it that you didn't flip the coin for the orderlies?"

"Simple. I needed to talk to you and if I went and shot them I wouldn't be able to do thatNow if you don't mind, we're going to go intimidate a certain shark loaner. Please excuse us."

"One second, I think you may have dropped something in Dr. Young's office," pulling something out of his outfit, Jonathan handed Harvey a folded up piece of paper.

"Oh, thank you for finding this. We missed our favorite nostalgic poster and had wondered where it went. Anyway, hey, Great White, we have to talk to you."

The Rogue known as the Great White Shark looked up to see Harvey, eyes changing from psychotic delight to terror as he saw Two Face walking towards him. Jonathan watched as the loan shark was asked politely by Harvey for the money that was owed, and when he replied that he didn't have it, the coin came out. When it came up bad, the two hidden .22's came out and the security guards rushed to break everything up.

Crane shook his head. Rogues were so predictable…at least, those who weren't named Zsasz or Joker, both of whom had a chaotic MO. But for ones like Harvey? It was quite pathetic how they always seemed to do the same old thing…that's why Crane wanted to mix things up a bit with his new doctor, to make sure he didn't seem like just another broken record if only to himself.

Jonathan actually felt a small level of pity towards the former district attorney, the man having lost everything that he held dear. Crane did not see Harvey's life as being worse than his own however, and so the pity was not the level it would be at otherwise. Crane would have reveled in Dawes' death if it had not hurt someone he had bonded with years before in the courtrooms as both did their respective jobs.

As Harvey was dragged away, Jonathan began to slowly get back to thinking of his fear gas when he was interrupted indirectly by someone else entering the room and yelling out to someone else…

"Puddin!

Harley now arriving and running towards the Joker, Crane decided to be leaving, looking to an orderly and sending him a glare that signified both death and suffering, and found himself being led back to his extreme isolation cell in a timely fashion…


	21. Session 21: Dirt

Picked up some old Batman comics today at my local comic shop and got some pretty good ideas...the first of these is within this chapter. I'm a bit curious to see who knows of Absonus without looking him up...If you don't, which is absolutely understandable, you'll find out during the story so no worries.

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><p>47. Dirt<p>

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><p>Today Dr. Young had an addition to her normal schedule, a meeting with a new psychologist. Young did not know why she had to meet with him or what they would discuss, but she did know she had to go.<p>

Arriving at the place that would become his office, Hugo Strange's old office, Young nodded to the man who was currently seated in the room. Sitting down in an open seat across from his desk, Penelope decided to break the ice.

"So your name is Dr. Absonus, correct? Not a name that one hears every day."

A middle aged man with smooth black hair nodded his head, "Why yes, it is a bit uncommon. It is a latin name."

Young nodded to the man, "So you're here to fill in for Dr. Strange while he is away? What is it that you are to do exactly?"

Victor Absonus grinned widely, "I intend to study some of the more extreme cases here at the asylum. I intend to study them and what made them the way they are. I'll be taking over their sessions and free people such as yourselves of the burden."

Frowning profusely, Young snarled, "Who do you think you are? You can't just come here and act like you own it. And what do you mean burden? Some of us actually enjoy our work."

Absonus smile morphed into a similar frown, "It will only be a couple patients Dr. Young, nothing to be stressed about. It would be extreme cases such as Jonathan Crane that I would take on, the more mild ones such as-"

Young shook her head, cutting the man wearing strange glasses off, "Absolutely not. I am working with Crane and we are actually making some progress. I won't allow you to pull him from me so you can just observe him!"

"Temper, temper doctor. I have the authority to do exactly that, and I intend to."

Penelope leered at him, "You have no idea what may happen. Crane has driven multiple shrinks insane, but recently he has been turning over a new leaf. I don't want this opportunity to be wasted."

Victor snorted, "Opportunity? That is laughable. Admit that you only took his case on because you wished to receive a career boost by 'curing' one of the supposedly wackiest of the Gotham Rogues."

Penelope gasped, caught off guard, "What right do you have to accuse me? You come here out of nowhere with a simple appointment by Strange, and now you're acting like you're king."

Frown transforming back into a smile, Absonus shook his own head, "You have no idea. This meeting is over."

"No, not until we go over-"

Absonus laughed loudly, "Why yes, yes it is. Unless you want me to reveal your projects and experiments with a certain Patient X to the public, I would suggest you do exactly as I say," seeing her shocked expression, he continued triumphantly, "So, as I was saying, this meeting is over. It was nice speaking with you Dr. Young."

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><p>"Who does he think he is? Why is he even here? Strange may be abroad, but why appoint someone to fill his shoes? We all have everything handled here."<p>

Jonathan Crane was standing in front of where he had his sessions, the door closed but her voice perfectly audible. Jonathan was curious about what his doctor was saying.

Someone sent here by Strange? Now why would he send someone here, to Arkham?

Wasn't he busy in that trip or whatever of his across the world? Now what would that insane, bald man be doing by sending this person?

The orderly next to Jonathan rapped his hand on the door, "Dr. Young, your patient is here."

There was no response to the orderly, the Doctor simply continuing her rant. Intent on leaving the presence of the scarecrow, the Orderly tried again, "Doctor Young-"

Now the ranting stopped and Crane heard her get up and cross the room, "Yeah, yeah I'm coming" then, in a much lighter voice, she said, "Not like he'll be my patient for much longer…"

Wait…

What?

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><p>Crane was panicking in his mind. He had to have heard her wrong, "I'm sorry Dr. Young, but I couldn't help but overhear you. Did you say that I wouldn't be your patient much longer?"<p>

"Why yes, yes I did…I'm sorry Jonathan, but there is a new doctor here who is having you transferred to him."

This was not good. Crane didn't like this. Not. One. Bit. Who did this doctor think he was interrupting Crane's long term experiment? Trying to sound neutral, Jonathan removed whatever traces of malice it would otherwise have, "What is this doctor's name and why is it that I am going to be meeting with him?"

Young sighed, her face slightly pouting, "He is some colleague of Dr. Strange named Dr. Absonus who will be filling in Strange's position while he is away. You'll be meeting with him because he has the right to meet with any patient her at Arkham, whether it interrupts other's therapy or not, and he has requested you as his patient…"

Wait, Young was showing some great displeasure over how this doctor was 'stealing' her patient. That meant that on some level she wished to keep him as a patient…his plan was working, but if this wasn't all some sick joke, then he was running out of time.

Crane was going to have to change that. As soon as he could he was going to have a nice chit-chat with this Doctor Absonus…no one makes Jonathan Crane do something against his will. Not anymore they didn't.


	22. Session 22: Confrontation

Special thanks to Black391 for the review and to humamoodring for adding this story to your alerts! I hope everyone enjoys!

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><p>74. Confrontation<p>

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><p>There were very few things that Jonathan Crane disliked as much as being forced to do something against his will. Be it his Grandmother making him clean the entire house because he was a "spawn of Satan", or the way cruel bullies in his neighborhood would force him to scream and beg for mercy as they slammed his head with the door of a locker.<p>

As a result of this recent…development, Jonathan tried to learn everything there was about this new doctor, but was met with little success. The orderlies had never worked with the man named Absonus before, doctors had no idea who he was, guards couldn't care less, and other inmates had never met with the man before. When asked, the Joker just kept laughing…something was up and Crane fully intended to find out. Now, how to find out the most about the doctor…

Jonathan laughed maniacally as the right idea popped right into his head.

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><p>Dr. Absonus' door burst open, causing said doctor to look up from his desk, "Why hello Mr. Crane, I see that you have come early to our session, a day early in fact. I am currently not ready to see you-"<p>

In a blur of a motion Jonathan Crane, in full Scarecrow costume, crossed the small room and lifted the doctor into the air by the throat with his left hand while the right pointed a syringe full of fear gas toxin at the man's throat, "Save it for someone who cares. I'm here to ask you some questions, and you better answer them or else I might just let this syringe slip."

Absonus gasped for breath, and Crane tossed the man to the ground. Tumbling over his desk and chair, Absonus landed awkwardly on the ground and looked up through his odd shades, "Now no need to get physical. You cannot kill me," a knowing grin formed on the black haired man, "They would trace the murder back to you and then you would be back at step one convincing Doctor Young that you are perfectly sane. In fact, you would be worse off than step one-"

Jonathan let out a long sigh as he walked around the desk. Stepping on the man's chest, he responded, "You really don't know much about me do you Doctor Absonus?" Leaning down, he pointed his syringe, as well as its three relatives, at the Doctor's throat again, "You see, this particular strain of my fear gas is untraceable. The tradeoff is that it takes very long to create and has a very short period of time before it loses its edge…but this should work just fine on you, Doctor."

Victor Absonus was clearly frightened, a fact that made this entire confrontation worth it to Jonathan, "I see…well then, what is it you wish to discuss Jonathan?"

Crane smirked, pressing his foot deeper into the man's chest, "Who you are, what are you doing here in Arkham, and why am I going to be your patient are good places to begin."

Absonus let out a cough before he spoke, "Well those should be simple enough…I am merely a doctor who Strange saw fit to take his place while he was away. I'm here to study the most extreme cases here at Arkham, per Strange's interest in them, and you just happen to be listed as the second most important to study."

Anger flooded through Jonathan and he stomped on the doctor in rage, "I am not some lab rat that you can study! If that's all there is behind it, why don't I just kill you right now? No-one will find you until tomorrow and by then it'll be to late for you."

Absonus' smirk grew to the size of a Cheshire cat smile, something Jervis would have liked if the Mad Hatter was there, "Because I believe that we have a common benefactor…at least you and Strange do. It wouldn't do to kill someone playing on the same team, now would it?"

Confused, Jonathan stepped off of the Doctor, "Same tea-wait a minute, you and Strange are working with my supplier? Why would he take interest in a nutcase like Strange?"

Victor laughed, something that slightly unsettled Crane, "For the same reason he would take an interest in a nutcase like you Jonathan, because he sees potential that can be used. Now, are you satisfied?"

Kicking the doctor in the side, Jonathan growled in anger, "I'll let you go for now, if only to check up on your connections. I warn you though Doctor, you are interrupting my own experiment and I am not at all pleased. You would better not be lying to me, or I will kill you without any hesitation."

"I see. I expect to see you tomorrow in our session then-"

Now his turn to do so, Jonathan laughed at the man, "I apologize, but I'll be meeting with my _real_ doctor tomorrow. You see, I can kill you whenever I wish and if I just so happen to not meet with her tomorrow in the time we would normally be seeing eachother, you would best flee from Arkham as well as from Gotham."

Absonus began to stand, his face conveying his anger, "Now hear this, you cannot simply threaten me-"

Walking towards the door, Crane scoffed, "Why not? Strange is the one with connections, not you, so I don't feel quite so intimidated by the thought of killing you. In fact, it may send a message. Care to question what is going to happen tomorrow again?"

Calming down, the new Doctor spoke neutrally, "No…you'll meet with your Doctor, Crane. Don't think that this will persist though. I will see to it that you become my patient, as Strange has asked."

Turning to face the doctor, Jonathan spoke in the tone he used to convey his Scarecrow persona, "Good. Then I'll make sure that when he comes back here from his long trip, I'll show him just what it means to be added to my bully list."

Absonus questioned what Crane had just said, "Bully li-?", but Crane had already left, leaving the man alone in his office.

Looking at the mess that had been created by the encounter, Absonus stroked his goatee, his mind thinking about the long term implications of all of this, "Damn him. This is not going according to plan."


	23. Session 23: Smile

Special thanks to Black391 for the review, and for guessing correctly what comic I picked up the other day! Hope you all enjoy!

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><p>14. Smile<p>

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><p>Penelope sat at her desk indignantly, totally miffed that this Doctor Absonus was interrupting perhaps permanently her work with Crane. She was the only shrink he had opened up to, if only a little more than other patients usually did.<p>

Young shook her head. She actually respected Crane a little. He was a like minded person who was much more understanding than any of the other so called psychologists at the Asylum. Why was it that the one patient she enjoyed meeting with had to be the one that was taken from her? If he had decided to take Nigma, Joker, Harley or even Firefly from her than she would be ecstatic. So why was it Crane?

Absonus said that he was looking at the most extreme cases, but that meant that he (or Strange) believed that Jonathan was one of the more twisted and wacko of the people there, something that Young firmly disagreed with. How could he think that Jonathan, a seemingly mentally stable man with bad intentions, was as bad as the Joker, who was totally insane? Young would rather treat a thousand Cranes than one Joker. The man was just…sick. All of the inmates there were sick on one level or another, but Joker was the cream of the crop. His chaotic ways were almost schizophrenic in nature and he had a predisposition for extreme violence.

Determined, Young intended on finding a way to continue her sessions with Crane. If she needed she would circumvent Absonus and simply meet with Crane outside the normal work hours. She was going to cure him, and no one was going to get in the way of that. Curing Crane would mean so much to her…and it would good for her patient as well, but that was secondary to Young. First and foremost it was going to make her an accomplished psychologist, an anti-Harley in ways.

Penelope stopped to think for a moment about her patient. She knew he had suffered from an extremely horrible childhood, and his adult life hadn't seemed to be much better from what she had heard. He always seemed so serious…he rarely smiled, and when he did it appeared forced or it was very faint. There were times when he smiled more brightly, but they actually scared Young. Not knowing exactly why, she silently dreaded when the man actually had reasons to smile. If she had any idea as to why she reacted in such a way, it would likely be because it always felt like there was something unsaid when he smiled, like he knew something or was thinking something she didn't know and could not fathom.

Tearing herself from her introspection, she decided to use this time wisely. Since Crane was not to be seeing her, she might at least use this time to check on her unruly Patient X. Bane was being even more violent than usual and it had been hard to study his Venom samplings and how she could use them in her Titan research, so more time was needed to work on the project as productivity plummeted.

Getting up from her seat, Young started to gather her things that she would need to leave when she heard a rapping on the door. Ignoring it, she heard a voice of an orderly.

"Dr. Young? Your patient is here."

Confused, Young looked at the door. Walking towards it, she questioned the orderly, "What are you talking about? I don't-", as Penelope opened the door she saw the orderly standing next to her…patient, "Jonathan? I thought that our meeting was canceled so that you could see Abs-"

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders, his face perfectly neutral, "It looks like that for the immediate future I'll be seeing you at our normal time."

The orderly left the two and Young raised her eyebrow, "But how? Absonus said that he would be having sessions with you now."

Jonathan breathed out slowly, "He and I…we had a discussion, and he saw that it would be best for me to continue seeing you. He mentioned it wouldn't be permanent, but for the time being things will continue as they were."

Penelope looked at Crane and then looked at her open doorway, "Oh…well, would you care to come in? We can get started if you're up to it."

Crane nodded to his doctor, "Why of course. Any subjects you would like to broach today or should we just discuss this Doctor Absonus?"

Young furrowed her brow, her face full of anger, and her voice filled of venom, "I would rather just forget that dreadful man. I don't like it when other's get in the way of my work and I won't let him disrupt this session by being the topic of it."

Crane simply nodded his head again, following his doctor into the room, "That sounds reasonable…"

Penelope undid Jonathan's straightjacket before the two of them sat in their respective seats. Curious, Young decided to ask Crane a simple question, "Jonathan, what did you two talk about?"

"It was nothing really…I explained to him how much it meant for me to remain in your care, and he took it to heart it seems. It's that simple."

There it was. Crane had his lip twisted into that demented smile again.

Oh _how_ she hated that smile and the cold, detached face it belonged to…Young was pretty sure she would have a little trouble sleeping that night. Best not show the fear obsessed man that though…

Little did she know that Crane had picked up on it the first time he broke out a smile.


	24. Session 24: Fairy Tale

Thanks again to Black391 for the review! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, for it is a little different than some of the others...bad puns are intended in the following words...be warned.

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><p>61. Fairy Tale<p>

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><p>Every week at this time Dr. Young was sure she could be spending her time doing something better. She could even replace herself with a mannequin and it would likely have the same effect. The man was insecure, yes, but this was pushing the term.<p>

"I would tell her cute, sweet fairy tales, and when she went to bed I would tuck her in and-"

It was absolutely official. Of all her patients, Drury Walker was the most pathetic. Unlike all her other patients, he was very open and was actually quite kind. If it wasn't for his keen obsession with moths and identity theft, he would no doubt be seen as sane by many. As is, he was rotting away in Arkham, known as a D class villain and a laughingstock to all the others because of his consistent failures. His gimmick was based around the moths, often changing himself into someone else…like a caterpillar changes into a moth.

His personality was just asking to be exploited…a kind and caring Rogue? Only the toughest psychos could survive in a place like Arkham, and Drury Walker was not among them. He spent sessions talking about what he would do if he ever fell in love, what great joy it would be to have kids, thinking aloud of what names he would give his children (his favorite being the name Kathryn for some reason Dr. Young could not fathom), the love and affection he would show them, and also the needlessly elaborate fairy tales he would tell them before they went to bed…Young swore that if she ever had children that she would not subject them to the endless torment that was a Killer Moth story. Drury was simply TO nice for Young to get angry at him. He wasted her time, yes, but outside his criminal life he was pretty well natured. Many times she had considered having him be transferred to a less dangerous place than Arkham, a place where he could receive help and not be in constant shame, torment and danger by his peers.

Young found that the way to survive the sessions was to just not pay attention. The stories were just…so fluffy and bubbly. Penelope prayed that if he ever had children, Drury would have a girl. No boy should have to sit through this. Even when she was younger, not that she was old…when Young was young, but oh you get the pun already. Even when she was younger _Penelope_ wouldn't have been interested in these long stories…

As with every time they met, Walker noticed when it was time to end his long winded tale and wrap everything up. Fairy tale ended, he said his goodbyes as an orderly came to get him, "You are such a great listener Dr. Young. Thank you for your time. I'll do my best to think of a new story for our next meeting!"

"Goodbye Drury…"

These sessions were to dreary for her liking…nothing like the more animated patients that often had to be dragged out of the room by security. A change in the norm is nice in a way. Doing the same thing over and over was just repetitive…like Drury's stories.

Young slumped in her chair. After these sessions she just felt drained, her mind having been put to sleep long before they end. It having been her last one for the day, Penelope saw no reason why she couldn't just rest for a moment…

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><p>Young walked outside of her office late at night and yawned after her long day. Her eyes widened and she felt more awake as she saw a man in a burlap mask choking Garfield Lynns, better known as Firefly, right in front of her. In Firefly's hand was a Molotov cocktail, luckily unlit, and Young took a step back into her office.<p>

"Come on, let me burn this place down!"

The man in burlap smashed Lynns against the wall, knocking him out. Turning to Young, he nodded to her before vanishing-

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><p>"Dr. Young? You have someone here to see you. Dr. Young?"<p>

Young jolted awake, thinking back to what she had just been dreaming for a moment. What the hell was that about? Maybe she needed to get more sleep at night…then maybe Walker wouldn't put her to sleep.

Getting up, Young walked towards her door apprehensively, a little nervous after her weird dream. Opening it, she could see Dr. Absonus standing outside.

"Oh, Dr. Absonus. What are you doing here?"

"We have something to talk about, Dr. Young. Your patient, Crane, to be specific."


	25. Session 25: Obsession

Sorry about the delay on this one! It's a bit longer than usual, about twice the length of a longish chapter and four times the normal, and as such took some time to edit through. I have a lot going on with school nowadays, tests, projects, and studying for midterms all taking away my free time. I go on break in two weeks, so I'll update much more during my extended winter break!

Anyways, special thanks to me-ladie and to Bashlei for the reviews and for adding this story to their watch list! I am glad that you both have enjoyed it, and I dedicate this longer chapter to you guys!

Before we get started, I will answer a question some people have mentioned to me: This story IS going to follow the events of the game. The ways in which it does I do not know yet...things will be different than in the game for sure, but only the sections pertaining to these characters. The rest will remain the same for sure. I think you guys will understand what I really mean when we get there, but since that is a long ways away, I hope you enjoy this chapter in the meantime!

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><p>71. Obsession<p>

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><p>Dr. Young sat in her chair, her usual lab coat worn over a grey dress shirt. Around her neck hung a small necklace that went under her lab coat, covering it from view, and her hair was held back by a purple hair tie. Jonathan sat across from her in his usual straightjacket, although it was once again undone and he sat freely on his chair.<p>

Young was glad that she was still able to see Crane. He was truly getting better, and she intended to see the treatment through to its end. She was worried that if he began seeing this Dr. Absonus he would begin to go back to how he was, and her hard work would be undone. That would be not be acceptable.

Penelope decided to ask her patient a more serious question than normal, "Jonathan, would it be correct for me to assume that your extreme predilection for fear stems from your childhood trauma greatly?"

Jonathan looked at his doctor and spoke, "That would be fair to assume, yes. I've lived my life in terror, and when I saw a chance to reverse the roles, to make those who prey on the fearful feel fear, I took it."

Young noted that for once one of her patient's environments likely had a lot to do with their psychosis, although he did still have some distinct anxiety disorders. Nodding her head, Young replied, "A poetic justice of sorts…did you target any of the people who had tormented you when you were younger?"

Watching his eyes as he spoke, Young could feel a cold fury behind them. She learned recently that the best way to see what her nigh expressionless patient was feeling was through what his icy blue eyes with silver in the middle said, "Yes, they were the first targets I had. I made them pay for what they put me through…" he stopped and grew a minute frown, his childhood memories flooding back into his head, "countless instances of bullies beating me, shoving me into dumpsters, pushing me down stairs, and trying to run me over with cars all were avenged when I unleashed my fear gas on them. The way I did it was by recruiting them to participate in 'experiments' run through my university, under a false name that they would not recognize…my then untested fear gas would be turned on them."

Penelope frowned more than her patient at the mention of his criminal past, "You were fired from the university, if I recall correctly."

Nodding his head lightly, Jonathan took in a deep breath, "Yes…that was the proverbial last straw. The dean had been cruel to me while I worked there, and when he learned that my experiments were not the most humane, he fired me and literally had security drag me off the grounds."

An eyebrow rose on his doctor's face, "Was that the creation of your 'Scarecrow' persona?" Thinking for a moment, she quickly added, "And if I may, why Scarecrow? Most people think of the Wizard of Oz when they hear the word scarecrow, and there must have been other, more frightening things you could have taken the form of."

Jonathan averted his gaze slightly, his eyes still showing what Penelope thought to be a repressed rage within them, "I chose Scarecrow because of my childhood torment…you see, I was tall and slim as I am now. I was known as 'The Scarecrow' by my peers, and it wasn't helped by how they also forced me to run after birds and scare them…if I didn't, they would beat me until I bled and could not walk."

Young let out a small gasp, shocked by how intensely Jonathan had been hurt. She knew he had been bullied, but she was just beginning to realize the extent, "That's horrible! How could your teachers let things like that happen? A lot of this must have happened at school, how could they just stand by? And what about other kids? Surely not everyone stood by and watched it happen?"

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Crane looked as indifferent as always, "I was the school freak…whenever I thought someone actually felt sorry for me, they were just trying to get close to me so that they could hurt me even more later…that's why I would strive to punish them later. These bullies became successful you see, and they never paid for their crimes in any way. I was so furious after I was fired that the Scarecrow hunted down any one that I had not already experimented on."

Young shook her head, "I can't condone killing others, but I do understand your thoughts behind doing so. They had horribly mistreated you for years, and they would go on to be rich and famous and would never pay for what they did to you."

Jonathan continued to keep his eyes from looking at his doctor, purposefully trying to look downtrodden and pathetic, "I know that what I did was wrong, but at the time I didn't care. I had had enough of being pushed around, of others hurting me cruelly for petty reasons. So one after another, the people who had hurt me paid for what they did…" Jonathan paused, looking up at the ceiling lazily, "I thought I had truly become a living nightmare, but I was proved to be no better than a pretender. The Batman gave me a frightful awakening in that regard."

Young titled her head, confused, "What do you mean? How does that vigilante factor in?"

Jonathan met his doctor's eyes once more, but she couldn't read them this time. Instead, she felt a shiver go down her spine as she looked into his frozen eyes, "He…the Batman is the true master of terror. He causes full grown men to cower and cringe by mere mention of his name, mob bosses to do business during daylight so as to avoid him, and criminals to go straight simply to not have to ever fight him…" Crane stopped again, pausing to think. When he was done, he continued on, his mouth curling down into a minor scowl, "He brought me down and took my title of the 'Master of Fear', with the help of a certain Rachel Dawes. Batman…he is the biggest bully of all. He beats up hundreds of other people in his crusade on crime, and although I like seeing some former bullies get their just desert by my _enemy's_ hands, he also fights those who know no other way of life. There are some people who don't have the abilities to do anything but crime…is it truly righteous for him to be putting them away in jail when they have families to support?"

"I would suppose not, but just because they have no other way of getting income doesn't make their careers any less illegal.

Jonathan nodded, "Yes, but the same could be said about me. I am a former criminal who has hurt many people. I am not exactly someone who could go get any honest work now."

Taking into account her patient and his situation, Young thought about how to answer him, "Well, as long as all of this is in your past I see no problem with you resuming your old life. People who earn it can get a second chance in life, and I believe that if you keep up on this rehabilitation track you'll no doubt get it. It will take awhile for you to repay your debt to society, likely your entire life, but it is still possible."

Jonathan's scowl transformed into a neutral expression, "Why that is most kind of you doctor Young, but I doubt that me being released would really have any long-term effect on my residence."

Baffled by what he was saying, Young questioned her patient, "Why is that? If you are released by being declared sane, then-"

Speaking matter-of-factly, Crane replied, "Then the Bat Man will come and drop me back off here. It doesn't matter to him."

Still confused, Penelope continued to question Crane, "But why would he waste his time putting a sane person back inside of an insane asylum, especially when you wouldn't be hurting anyone?"

Still using the same tone, he shook his head, "The reason Doctor Young, is that he is as obsessed with his crime fighting ways as I am with fear. If he registers someone as a threat, then they are to be put away."

Young let out a breath, trying to focus herself, "In any circumstance, if possible, would you like to be released? I'm not promising anything, but I could have you declared sane."

"Being released from this prison of lunatics would be nice, I must admit. But why the sudden willingness to let me out? Does it have to do with our new Doctor?"

Penelope nodded, "Well yes, yes it does. Absonus has something he is not telling anyone, something which I intend to find out, but in the meantime I do not want him to meet with you under any circumstances…you're like a test subject to him and with his shady appointment and attitude, I would not like to see what he would do with you."

Crane could laugh at the irony if he were one to really care about such trivial things. Here was his own test subject trying to find a way to protect him from someone who saw him as a test subject, "Your caring is greatly appreciated…but I must say that Absonus will not be a problem. Like I've said before, he and I have come to an…understanding."

"Yes, but as you've also said, it is temporary. He still fully intends to go through with whatever it was he planned. While I am not so concerned as to what he plans on doing to the Joker, you are a patient I actually intend to help readjust to society. We have programs to help people even after they've left Arkham-"

Shaking his head, Crane turned the idea down, "I must extend my thanks for the offer, but I wish to stay here. I truly do. I can handle Absonus. I am not scared of him."

Young looked at her patient seriously, "Are you sure Jonathan? I have the feeling that he may actually be dangerous, given my last meeting with him."

Jonathan sighed, "Yes, yes I am. If worse comes to worse, I could always scare him off."

Young looked at him sternly, her voice apprehensive and the tone scolding, like a mother to a child who just broke a vase, "Now Jonathan, I don't want you relapsing into your old behavior. We've come quite a ways, haven't we? I don't want to lose the work we've done because of some strange doctor."

Realizing that he was slipping up, he tried to lessen the damage, "I understand. You won't find me donning my old mask and costume on his account."

Young's expression softened and she nodded, "That's good. Now, how are you going to avoid him? He can access you outside of our meetings, can he not?"

Crane shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, his expression still neutral and voice even, "Yes, I suppose he can. If he tries, I'll just get myself put in solitary. That way you'll get a call, informing you that I can't come to our session, and then you can come and release me from solitary. That way you'll know as soon as he tries to make contact."

Young nodded again, "That sounds like a plan…," her voice changed back to the mothering tone from before, "don't do anything stupid to get yourself put there though. Don't pick fights with Joker or the others…"

Jonathan repressed a smirk, "Don't worry. I'm on good behavior, remember?"

Jonathan was cracking up on the inside. This was almost to much for him to take. His doctor was falling for his plan all to well…at the rate they were going he would have another tally in the success column within the next couple months.


	26. Session 26: Annoyance

Thanks to me-ladie and to Black391 for the reviews! Now, to answer reviews:

_Black391: I would have been a bit more surprised by you mentioning that if you hadn't already gotten which comic I had read...you'll see where it's going in the next major arc._

_me-ladie: It will be awhile before what your thinking...quite awhile in fact. Mind hanging on until then? First things first, they actually have to start liking one another outside of their respective goals._

Now this is a shorter chapter, but I still hope you all enjoy! I had most of it written last night, but my brain turned off after I posted the last chapter, so here you go!

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><p>69. Annoyance<p>

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><p>Nearly everything in the world had an upside and a downside…and being on good behavior was one such thing.<p>

The upside? Crane had an easier time manipulating his doctor, her thinking him to be a genuinely sane person who was just troubled with anxiety disorders and a horrible childhood.

The downside? The Rogue's response to it...or rather _certain_ Rogues' responses.

In regards to a certain Zsasz incident, they didn't quite so much care that Jonathan had thwarted another Rogue's plans, especially when the plan was to kill Crane himself, but they had begun to question him as to his intentions in saving his doctor and not just letting Zsasz have his fun slitting her throat. Those that knew him better just shrugged it off as one of his plans to drive a doctor insane, like they should. Others…well, one must protect their reputation.

When the guards found Zsasz, the Mad Hatter, and Fire Fly in a heap, all tangled up and with various injuries, they just believed that another fight had broken out as was common in Arkham.

Crane, having made his point, just reveled in the new appreciation that minor rogues were now showering him with now that Zsasz was put away, the maniac known as Fire Fly was not threatening them with his various smuggled pyromaniac weapons, and the Hatter wasn't there to bother them anymore.

Crane actually liked Jervis, the Mad Hatter, for he was simply a schizophrenic who was obsessive rather than sane and simply sadistic…in any case, the little man was quite delusional and if _certain_ ideas took root in his mind, they would be hard to stop from growing. And that meant that the Mad Hatter would likely mention them to others, his schizophrenic mind prohibiting him from keeping his mouth closed even when it was good for him. As such _everyone _would hear his idiotic ideas…orderlies and doctors included. That would not be good. Not at all.

So, to keep up his Rogue professionalism and to maintain his status, Jonathan was forced to include his small friend Jervis in the list of people to 'speak with'. He felt quite annoyed with having to include Tetch, for who was it who saved the Mad Hatter from Ragdoll's betrayal? Sure, Jonathan used the favor to manipulate the small man, but it wasn't the best blackmail he had, especially after Jervis had hatted him and made him carry out his plans…Crane had enough Alice in Wonderland for a lifetime now.

In any case, the scene was set up so that it appeared that Jervis had instigated the entire event, hats being placed on the other two fallen figures, and he spent the longest in solitary, or rather time in the "Extreme Isolation Cell" but a different part than where Crane was contained, out of the three of them.

The rumors curbed, the spreaders stopped and put away for some time, and Jonathan having gotten a reputation boost, the Scarecrow was content with how the day turned out.

In the meantime, he was going to go have a chat with the other two. Was Crane above death threats? Yes. Above fear gas threats? They would be finding out when he located their particular cells...


	27. Session 27: Night

Thanks to Bashlei for the review! If anyone has questions, thoughts or ideas, feel free to drop me a review or message! I am very open to them and will do my best to respond in a timely fashion!

Now, on to the next installment! This one is a bit longer, but was 95% complete for a few weeks so I'm basically just uploading it now that it is it's turn. Enjoy!

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><p>32. Night<p>

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><p>After pondering a moment, Young questioned Jonathan, "What was that brawl about recently? Did Tetch have a reason for hatting the other two?"<p>

The former psychologist shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, making sure to appear as if he knew little about it when he knew quite a lot…the three other Rogues also knew who started and ended the fight, but none were speaking about the humiliation, "I'm sure that it was just some Rogue nonsense. I actually prefer that kind to when Joker chooses people at random to help him with 'magic tricks'. Or when Harvey gets his coin out. This kind just results in a few people going to the infirmary and the rest going to solitary, and no one visit's the morgue."

Penelope nodded, "That's understandable. Although, I never mind when they lock the clown away for a few days when he tries something. He's always in extreme isolation, but when he isn't allowed out at all I prefer it more."

Jonathan tilted his head and his brow creased, "Are you afraid of the clown?"

Caught off guard by the look she was receiving as well as the question, Young shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "Well, of course I'm afraid of him. He's a madman whose MO is unpredictable and chaotic in nature, but often filled with extreme and excessive violence," gesturing with her hand, she brought a finger across her throat, while averting her eyes, "He could kill someone because they are wearing a blue tie…anyone who wouldn't fear someone like that is simply insane."

Jonathan sensed that the look on his face was causing her discomfort. He didn't know exactly why his expressions caused others, noticeably Dr. Young, to feel uncomfortable. Reacting to this he returned his face to a usual, neutral countenance, "If it proves anything, I myself fear the Joker. I dislike having to share my living space with him at times because of us both being 'extremely dangerous'."

Feeling less uncomfortable, Penelope looked back at her patient, "You've caused some disruption while you have been here, but the amount you've caused in your entire time here is akin to what Joker, Two-Face and Zsasz do on a weekly basis," she continued to look at him, nor fully comfortable with his creepy facial expression having faded fully, "To compare the two is to compare an apple with a apple tree. I do understand though why Joker is labeled that…" thinking, she added, "speaking of which, do you think the Batman is afraid of the clown? He stands and fights him like a chronic disease, but even he must have some fear of his deranged foe. And for that matter, what would an obsessive man like that fear anyways?"

"There is no doubt in my mind that he fears Joker the most out of the Rogues gallery," deciding to not leave himself out but to still not reference his alter-ego at the same tim, he amended, "not that he doesn't see the others as major threats and fear them nearly as much. Joker simply is unpredictable on a level that means that by the time Batman learns what the clown is doing, it is usually long since over, with innocent lives taken, a major problem to the Bat Man," taking a breath, he thought about the other question, before answering with references to their recent meeting, "If I could guess what else the Batman fears, I would look into what the Batman is. He is a vigilante dressed as a bat who turns fear against those who prey on the fearful, such as myself albeit with different objectives. His strength lies in the way he strikes fear into those he fights, causing entire groups of men to run in terror. He strikes fear so deeply into some that the mere mention of bats has them trembling…so, if I had to guess, the man is afraid of them."

Young scoffed, "Batman? Afraid of bats?"

Nodding in agreement, Crane ignored her skepticism, "Exactly. My theory is that he took something that he himself feared and made it into that which would strike fear in others."

Thinking about who exactly she was talking to, Penelope realized that he probably both knew what he was talking about and was also not the kind of person who would joke about any of it. With this is mind she responded to her patient, "With your expertise in fear, I can only take your word. What your saying makes a lot of sense though. It would just be odd if he took the moniker of 'Batman' without any true motivation behind it."

Glad that his doctor was at least competent on some level, offsetting her inability to tell if someone was pulling her chain or not, Jonathan nodded in agreement once more, "Correct. Every Rogue has a tale behind their personas, such as my own back-story with the nickname 'Scarecrow', so why shouldn't the Batman?"

Young blinked as a clock in her room indicated the time through chimes. Instantly thinking of what time it was, she gasped as the clock chimed eight times, "Sorry to interrupt you Jonathan, but I can't help but notice that we've been talking over two hours and you were my last patient."

Jonathan kept his voice polite, keeping the smugness he felt out of it. She was so invested with helping him she lost track of time, "I can understand that you have to go home sometime. I wish you well Dr. Young."

While not beaming, Young showed a level of satisfaction in his words, "Thank you Jonathan," her voice became curious, but also sly, "but how are you going to go back to your cell? I don't see any orderlies to bring you. In fact, I think they've all checked out for the day."

"Well that does pose a certain predicament…would you care to bring me to my cell, Doctor?"

Shrugging, Young agreed, "Well that seems to be the only alternative…" walking towards the door, she opened it and poke her head out of it. There were no security guards strolling around. In fact, she saw no-one, "Where is everyone? The guards should still be here. Is there anyone even here?" Young called out into the hallway as Crane stood up and joined her at the door, "Hello? Anybody here?"

Jonathan looked down at the smaller woman as she continued to look into the hallway for people, "It is odd…maybe there was a breakout and all staff that were available went to help out?"

Young looked up at her patient, frowning, "Well, if there was a breakout, we should stay away from that side of the island. It would explain where all the guards went though," thinking for a moment, Penelope sighed, "…If I allowed it, would you care to stay in an extra room in the mansion? I need not say that I fully expect your cooperation and for nothing wrong to happen."

Hook. Line. Sinker, "That would be most gracious Dr. Young."

Crane noted that paying Two-Face to cause a mini-riot (which required two coin flips…first was whether to do it as a favor or to have money involved, and the second was about whether to kill the guards sent to quell it or not…it came up bad side the first time and good the second) was definitely worth it and asking the Mad Hatter to have a few people to tea to celebrate his return from solitary was also worth it…Young had just proved her naiveté.

Young picked her room's phone up, dialing the area with the 'Extreme Isolation' cells, "Hello? This is Dr. Young. Where is everyone? A riot? _Riots?_ Well what do we pay you for Cash? Get on them! Well then we'll hire more staff! We can't have this happening on a regular basis."

Hanging up angrily, Young placed her phone down harshly, "Well then, you were right. I'll bring you to where you'll be staying. Hopefully by morning those guards will have gotten their act together. The break out is actually occurring in your cell, so we couldn't bring you there anyways. Apparently Two-Face got Joker to help him out…this is going to be a mess if it continues much longer."

Jonathan acted as though he had no cares or worries at all concerning the issue which was very easy for him, for at this point it was all out of his hands, and it had proved what he had been curious about, "Well, I'm sure Captain Hook and the Guards will be fine…they have a 50-50 shot on whether Harvey will kill them, with the added bonus of trying to save their own hides. Joker probably won't kill anyone…he's in a pretty good mood today actually. Harley decided that since it was the day they met, it's a time to celebrate," seeing Young stay silent after he spoke, he noticed that she thought he was going to continue, "I don't think I should mention details."

In reality, Young had just been stunned by what he had said. Snapping back to reality, she also snapped verbally, "Wait, what? Are you implying that Harley is meeting with Joker today?" Crane nodded meekly, his mental activities having all focused on how angry his doctor was getting, "I've instructed the others specifically _not_ to let them see one another! It's damaging to Harley's progress the more she is in contact with the maniac!"

Crane took another mental note. Don't get in Young's way or face the consequences, "Rrrrr, I'm going to find out who let them see one another and I'm going to personally make sure they get fired," her rant having ended, she looked up again at Jonathan, "Sorry about the outburst…I can't stand it when others ruin my work, especially when it is done willingly."

Trying to calm her down, he offered a solution, "Well they could have done it under duress. Joker is known to do whatever it takes to accomplish what he wants."

Young did her best to keep her calm this time around, not proud in how she had conducted herself seconds ago, "Even so, they shouldn't have ever been put in a situation in which duress could be used on them. Joker is usually under medication, in his straightjacket and in his secure cell. I'm thinking he bribed one of the newer orderlies…idiots."

Jonathan nodded before shaking his head, "Idiots is exactly the word…they should know that he pays in monopoly money."

Young stepped out of the doorway, while Crane remained in the room, "Are you coming Jonathan?"

The steely blue eyed man kept his façade up, doing his good behavior act, "Are you comfortable with leading me there without a guard?"

Young thought about it for a minute. She was alone with a patient labeled 'extremely dangerous' and who was put in the 'extreme isolation' cell, and would be leading him to a room where he would be free to leave and wander as pleased, security having all been focused on where the riots had taken place. Furthermore, he had a track record of causing harm to his psychologists, particularly mental harm.

On the other hand, he had not displayed any forms of malice or ill intent towards her, and had nearly proved himself to be perfectly sane…

"Yes, yes I am."


	28. Session 28: Memories

Thanks to Black391, me-ladie, Quelara and Bashlei for all of the great reviews as well as to forgetmenotflowers for favoriting this story! I feel so sorry that after a few of you mentioned that I update fast that I took forever to update, but don't _fear_! This chapter should curb your hunger until this Friday...yeah, I have a lot of exams this week but after Thursday I'm on break! And break means about an update a day! So please bear with me until then.

Now in regards to everyone, I must apologize with how I ended the last chapter. I only realized how I ended it once people began reviewing...nothing happened between Crane and Young I swear! That was a mistake on my part, but it sets up this chapter by having Crane able to roam free in Arkham...oh well, enjoy! And no, nothing did happen! We'll get to that eventually, but it's a bit early now!

To answer a question:

me-ladie: Young is unsure about Batman, acknowledging how he helps the city out but also seeing that he has some severe psychological issues.

Oh, and I'm introducing my least favorite Batman character in this chapter! Hope you enjoy the brief snippet of them!

* * *

><p>11. Memories<p>

* * *

><p>They were assaulting Drury Walker…the large but kind man stood no chance against the three infamous Rogues who were currently loose.<p>

Drury walked backwards away from them, holding his hands up in an attempt to pacify them. He backed into a wall as they continued to approach him, "Please guys, I don't want any trouble."

"The guy says he doesn't want trouble. Now what are we gonna do boys?"

Clad in his full gear, Firefly laughed at the cornered man, hefting his flamethrower up and pointing it at Drury. Letting out a little burst, he set part of Drury's outfit on fire which Moth quickly patted out.

"Ah! Come on, I wasn't doing anything-"

"Shut up! I'm hungry and I don't anyone's gonna miss you…" Killer Croc bellowed in his guttural voice. Drury got wise and tried to rush past the smallest of the group, but was quickly tangled in an assortment of limbs and restrained on the floor.

"You won't be going anywhere," Ragdoll said as he wrapped himself in and around Drury's limbs.

This breakout had gone to far…

* * *

><p>A tall and large elementary school kid named Alex Hall pushed a similarly tall albeit skinny kid to the ground. Alex quickly jumped forward and began kicking the slim child, laughing as the boy yelled in pain and curled up into the fetal position, "Aww, is the Scarecrow to afraid to do anything?"<p>

Another kid named Jake joined in on the chiding, "I think he might have wet his pants!"

Alex laughed again and turned to his compatriot, "How about we put him out with the rest of the garbage?"

Jonathan looked up at the bullies and moaned, "Please, don-"

The bullies hoisted Jonathan up into the air, laughing at him as he flailed helplessly, "Shut up 'Crow! You're going dumpster diving!"

* * *

><p>Drury tried to press the trigger on his signature weapon, but his arms were still restrained and Ragdoll kept him from it.<p>

Firefly walked over to the two tangled Rogues and scoffed, "You gonna use your little cocoon gun to stop us? I'll be taking that."

Killer Moth thrashed as the weapon was taken from him, "Hey, come on, give it back!"

Croc shook his head, his face seeming as though it were pained by the sad display before him, "You are so pathetic bug boy. Care to make this easy for us? Fire starter is going to cook you up pretty nice for me, and Ragdoll is going to make sure you don't go no where. I'm gonna go and find myself another snack while you're all tied up here. I'll be back when Fly's done."

* * *

><p>Jonathan was about to walk into his introductory psychology class when someone grabbed the books he was holding. Turning to face Alex, Jonathan tried to grab them back, "Come on, just give them back!"<p>

Alexei looked down at Crane, having had even more of a growth spurt in the past few years than Jonathan who himself towered over many in their high school, despite both only being freshmen. Alex had repeated a year though…"You hear that? The bookworm wants his precious books back. Why don't you make me 'Crow?"

Jonathan stretched his long arms out to try and get them back, "Please! I need them for my class!"

"Jump for them string bean! Aww, poor Crane can't reach even with his Ichabod arms!"

* * *

><p>Ragdoll released Killer Moth, Firefly quickly grabbing Walker and smashing him into the nearest wall and holding him there. His prey now shaken, he pointed the flamethrower at Drury's abdomen, "Now hold still just one moment…I promise I'll make this roast nice and slow for you. Better tasting that way Croc says, and we wouldn't want to upset the big guy now would we?"<p>

Walker tried to get away, but was stopped by a right hook to the face by Ragdoll, "Now stop struggling like that, we need to have you ready by the time _he _gets back here."

Firefly and Ragdoll jumped when they heard a voice behind them, "I don't think so."

Firefly growled, taking a handful of Drury's uniform in one hand and pointing the other at the new arrival, "What are you doing here, Crane?"

"You must have mistaken me for someone else…you're dealing with Scarecrow right now."

* * *

><p>Jonathan had taken a wrong turn on his way home, and that was on his way through the Narrows. He didn't have the money to afford a car, so he had to make it all by foot. The odds of something bad happening to him were tremendous, but nothing had actually occurred to him yet…<p>

"This is Snakes territory Crane. You should have stayed out, but now we're going to have to take care of you."

Until now that is. A group of kids from his school hung out with a gang in the Narrows, and he just so happened to run into them. Jake was the first to notice him, and a half dozen of other bullies that stood behind him quickly saw the new arrival.

"Whatcha gonna do Crane? Gonna run like you always do? This is a dead end kid!" One of the petty gang members yelled.

Years of pain, humiliation, and anger surfaced in Jonathan. Looking down at the cement, he responded to Jake, "No…"

Raising his eyebrows, Jake questioned the slighter kid, "What was that Crane? I don't think I heard you right."

Balling up his fists, Jonathan whispered, "There is no Crane…"

"What the hell are you on-"

Rushing at Jake and the group behind him, he yelled, "-only Scarecrow!"

* * *

><p>Firefly growled at Jonathan, still angry about their last encounter, "Bug off Crane, this here is between us and Mothy."<p>

"I told you that there is no Crane here…Drury, feel free to run away now. I have to teach Firefly here some manners. Again."

Walker tried to escaped his captors again, but was just slammed back into the wall by Firefly, "What a pathetic weakling. Out of this world's scum you have to be the weakest link! And your not so much better Johnny boy. You're old news!"

Tilting his head, the Scarecrow spoke mockingly, "Is that so?"

* * *

><p>A light sandy haired woman held a sword to a pale, gangly man's throat, the blade threatening to cut it at any moment, "I fail to see why my father has taken any interest in scum like you," lowering the sword, Talia al Ghul kicked her captive in the stomach, "What could <em>you <em>possibly do to help purify this world?"

"If not for the name, I wouldn't even believe you to be his daughter, you wretch," receiving another kick to the stomach, Crane vomited blood, "Burn in hell you prissy whore."

Pointing her sword at him again, Talia scrunched her face and spat her words like venom, "Because you work with my father I'm going to spare you death…but don't think I am going to let your insults go."

Jonathan looked up at the woman and seethed, "I'm not scared of you, and I'm not scared of your little bodyguards. If I could actually fight back I would show you exactly why your father has taken interest in my skills…for now you need only attack an unarmed foe who cannot fight back."

Talia shook her head, tossing her sword to an attendant, "I'll show you your place, Crane."

* * *

><p>Firefly didn't expect the gangly man to move so quickly. The Scarecrow had closed the distance and disarmed Firefly in a single moment. Walker now free from someone's clutches, Crane turned to the weak man, "Go on Walker."<p>

Walker stuttered, unsure of what to make of the situation, "Bu-but-"

Nodding towards the an exit, the Scarecrow turned to face Ragdoll who was lunging at him, "I said go. Let me have a little fun with these fools. You'll only get in the way."

Noticing his chance to get away alive, Drury took it, running away, "Tha-thanks…"

Scarecrow lifted his leg up into the air and it connected with Ragdoll's face, sending the limber man tumbling back. Firefly, having managed to reconnect his flamethrower with his suit, pointed it at his assailant again, "Get out of our way!"

Dodging a burst of flame, the Scarecrow swung his leg around and kicked the gun out of Firefly's hands again, "Why you asshole! I'm going to definitely find out how well Burlap burns tonig-!" He was cut off by Crane's fist smashing into his jaw. Stumbling back, he received another blow to the face when Crane brought his leg up again. This time Firefly's head connected with the wall and he fell unconscious, blood dripping from his lips.

Ragdoll yelped and the Scarecrow turned to face him. Behind Ragdoll stood the large figure of Killer Croc who was seething, "What is going on here! I heard some damn commotion and decided to check on my meal, only to find that he was missing!"

Ragdoll pointed at Crane, "He interrupted our barbeque. He let Walker get away-"

Pointing at the Scarecrow, Croc growled, "Well then I'll have him instead! Get him!"

Attempting to bend his limbs around Crane's, Ragdoll laughed, "Let's say we _wrap_ things up!"

Unable to move now that his arms and legs were tangled, Jonathan screamed in anger, "Let go of me you damn silly putty!"

Croc lumbered over to the two and brought a fist back, tilting his head back in laughter "I'll show you to interrupt my meals!"

Croc threw his fist forward, but it hit nothing and he was left confused. Looking around, he found that Ragdoll was currently laying on the ground in front of him while Crane was standing next to another figure across the room.

Focusing on the green clothed man, Croc pondered how he had managed to separate the his prey from Ragdoll, "Riddle me this, what is it that reeks of the sewers and probably has already stopped listening to what I'm saying?"

Deciding that he didn't care how the geek had managed to do it, Croc roared at them, "I'll kill you too Nigma! You'll both make a lean burger!"

Ignoring the hulking Rogue, Scarecrow turned to Riddler, "What are you doing here anyways?"

His face growing cold, Nigma focused on Croc, "Let's just say that I am not very fond of bullies who take advantage of you either…nor am I fond of predators who will prey on those who have no way of resisting them."

Understanding that it must be a touchy subject, Crane too turned to face Croc, "Two on two then. Mind keeping Ragdoll busy for a moment? Croc is very susceptible to my compound."

Glancing at the syringe that Crane was now holding in his hand, Nigma sighed, "Aren't you worried that someone will notice your formula? That could hamper your pet project."

Jonathan shook his head, keeping his eyes focused on Croc who was now rushing at them, "Not with Croc. No orderly will bother seeing to him once he's out."

"Ragdoll will do then."

Croc reached the two, but Nigma ducked out and went to take care of the smaller foe. Swinging his tree trunk arm at him, Croc tried to slash the Scarecrow, "I'll get my hands on you Crane if it's the last thing I do!"

Easily sidestepping the wide swing, Scarecrow mocked his opponent, "You will try…"

In a rage Croc tried to tackle his opponent, "DIE!"

Scarecrow slipped around his opponent and stabbed Croc in the side with the syringe, "…and you will fail."

Killer Croc didn't even feel the slight pain in his side as he slashed at Jonathan again, "I'll crush you!"

To close to dodge fully this time, Scarecrow yelled in pain as two claws cut his left cheek and tore his mask partially. Deciding that he was to close for comfort, Crane jumped back to put space in-between them, ignoring the blood flowing from his cheek. Counting the seconds ever since he stabbed Croc, Jonathan noted that it was about time that-

Screaming in pain, Killer Croc began thrashing randomly, "Get away from me! No! GET OFF!"

-the formula set into effect. It took longer the larger a victim was, and Croc was definitely on the large end. Croc grabbed his head and kneeled on the ground, screaming in terror. Looking down at the large but helpless monster of a man, the Scarecrow yelled at him, "_I_ am the one who people shall fear, not some overgrown freak who is as feral as a wild animal."

Now turning his attention to the others still in the room, he noted that Firefly still remained unconscious and Riddler was holding his own against the limber Ragdoll. Using his question mark shaped sickles, Riddler was keeping the man at bay.

Walking calmly over to them, Jonathan thought back to the time when Ragdoll tossed Tetch off of a bridge because there was only room for one dandy psycho on the team they were a part of…

Reaching them, Crane approached the evasive Ragdoll, "Ragdoll, there is only room for one burlap wearing freak here in Arkham," Jonathan didn't mention the fact that at present he was not wearing all of his costume, having only had time to grab his mask before he decided to join in the riot, but the statement still applied in his opinion.

Before he could react Ragdoll found himself being held up into the air by Jonathan. If he hadn't been so skinny the Scarecrow would not have been able to lift him, but Ragdoll was one of the few Arkham inmates who was lighter than him, "Crane! Let me go-"

Giving out a deep sigh, the Scarecrow gripped his opponent's neck tighter, "What's in a name really? When this mask is worn you will refer to me as Scarecrow, not as that weakling Crane!"

Punching Ragdoll's lights out, the Scarecrow dropped his opponent onto the floor carelessly, "Thank you for the help Nigma. I'm not sure I could have handled them all alone."

Nigma began to respond when he heard a group of voices coming from the hall outside, and it was a group that was mentioning how to go about detaining the criminals inside the room. Riddler smirked, "Ah, I guess the guards have finally caught on to the commotion. Got to hand it to Cash, it only took him what must have been twenty minutes since this started to show his face."

Pointing his thumb over his shoulder, Scarecrow shrugged his shoulder, "He's afraid of Croc. When Croc is one place, the head of security is going to be found somewhere else."

Riddler sighed lightly, "Captain Hook and his favorite crocodile…I thought we Rogues were above such petty things."

The voices outside the room grew louder, "Make yourself scarce Nigma. Let these morons get put away. Firefly will be locked up for quite some time now, this being his second violation recently. Ragdoll will do as he pleases since nothing seems to keep him restrained, but I am pretty sure he will not wish to go for a second round after this. And Cash will give Croc some preferential treatment…likely give him a shock collar or something."

Nodding, Nigma slipped out of the room leaving Scarecrow with a room full of unconscious and quivering criminals…

"Now, how to avoid security and return to the room my doctor so graciously let me stay in…"

* * *

><p>As soon as their session started Penelope picked up on her patient's condition, "Jonathan, those scratches on your face…please tell me that you didn't partake in the riot last night? I thought that you were going to be on good behavior since you weren't staying in your cell-"<p>

Seeing that coming out clean may actually net him some sympathy if he played his cards right, Jonathan spoke with fake guilt, "I wish I could, but I honestly took part in it…I had no choice."

Scowling, Young looked at him with a reprimanding glare, "How'd it happen?" Remembering his issues with bullying, and also noting how far the riot had proceeded, Young quickly changed her expression to concern, "Were some of the other inmates abusing you?"

"No…I was not the one being put through the ringer. I believe you treat Drury Walker, correct? He was being physically assaulted by some of the more well known Rogues. They actually intended on cooking and eating him, at least one would be cooking and one was going to be eating. Whatever the case, I condemn all bullying, and I must admit I snapped when I saw what they were doing to him."

Realisation dawning upon her, Penelope had her mouth hand open, "Wait, were you the one who took out Killer Croc and the others in that room?" Receiving a nod from Jonathan, Young let out a breath, "I…I can't really condemn you for saving someone's life, especially seeing as how the security here probably couldn't have. Walker isn't the most hardy of the Rogues here, and there is no doubt in my mind that he would be dead right now if someone didn't save him from the others."

Taking a moment to think, Young scrunched her eyebrow, "What were you doing near the cells anyways? You couldn't have helped him if you didn't know that he needed help."

Noticing the flaw in his story, Jonathan quickly thought about how to answer her, "Well, I received a visit from Nigma. He somehow figured out where I was, being Nigma and all, and he tipped me off about the would be barbeque. He isn't a fan of such petty things as bullying either."

Deciding that it was likely best not to question how Nigma managed to reach the mansion, Young felt relieved that her patient hadn't been lurking the grounds of Arkham and relapsed into his old self during the riot, "Well I'll be sure to speak with Drury about this when I see him tomorrow, just to make sure you understand. I can't have any of my real patients acting like the other monsters who reside here."

Crane decided that he was going to inform Drury of what to say when he saw Young the next day, just to be sure that he didn't reveal anything that could ruin his work with the doctor. The man would definitely be ready to help him out after what had just transpired the night before, "Drury probably needs something to toughen him up a little. At the moment he's a pushover for the other rogues. Weakness here is preyed upon, and if you show a hint of it you are as good as dead. Walker is living on borrowed time."

Young nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes he does…"

She couldn't help but think that Walker actually seemed to be a perfect patient for the Titan Project, once it was finished and tested of course. The man didn't deserve to go through what some of the test subjects had experienced so far…whatever the case, the project was to assist the weaker inmates in their rough environment by making them stronger and the rogue known as Killer Moth seemed to be a prime candidate for it.


	29. Session 29: Foreign

Vacation has begun! I will do my best to update at a constant rate, and I hope you guys will enjoy the upcoming chapters! My goal is to get to chapter 50 by the end of my vacation, the halfway point of the story. Don't worry, I won't be rushing anything, I have many of the chapters planned out already and some are already partially written. So the update or two a day begins...now.

Special thanks to Me-Ladie and Bashlei for the reviews, Lady Ano and and also much thanks to Lady Ano and dragonofdarknedflame for adding the story to your watch list, Vandgard for faving the story, and Lady Ano for adding me to your favorite authors list! It really means a whole lot to me, and it is support like that which will help me update so quickly this break.

I hope everyone enjoys.

* * *

><p>27. Foreign<p>

* * *

><p>Young sat in her office alone, organizing notes and writing down things that she had missed during her sessions. While this was a mainly thoughtless task, with many of the notes being repeats of prior sessions, some of the notes she was writing down were new…particularly those pertaining to Crane.<p>

He had showed a level of caring for a fellow inmate, putting himself in harms way to prevent another man from being tormented and killed…

Was his behavior linked to his previous issues with bullies? Very likely. He mentioned that he was unable to stand by and watch it, meaning that it must have been effecting him on some level. Jonathan's behavior prior to being put in Arkham would seem to show that he wasn't the most humane of people, so that factor was out of the equation. But he still saved someone's life…just as he saved her earlier from Zsasz.

Was a small bit of humanity still left in him? If there wasn't he wouldn't feel any compulsion to help others, and he wouldn't feel so tortured over his past…a past that not anyone deserved to go through and would no doubt warp anyone put through it. Penelope had little doubt that Crane's experiences greatly influenced the man riddled with anxiety disorders today, and not at all in a good way.

The poor man had been through an awful lot in his life, and this asylum wasn't the right place for him Penelope said to herself. He had committed crimes, but he had been carrying out his stretch faithfully ever since he had changed doctors months ago and a week in Arkham was the equivalent to a year in any other place…being locked away never could be seen as easy, but when you are isolated with the Joker for extended periods of time you were bound to go insane.

If one needed evidence, then they need look no father than the staff of Arkham. Harley Quinn was a working example of that, just as the dozens of psychologists who quit at Arkham were after spending no more than ten minutes with the man.

Abandoned by his own mother…beaten senselessly by other kids…an abusive caretaker …verbally spat upon by his collegiate peers…thrown in a mental asylum alongside a mad clown…

Should he receive an award for somehow retaining his sanity…at least the majority of it?

While she was sure that Crane had never truly been insane, Young was also sure that he would have fared worse in Blackgate Prison than he had in Arkham. Even with that in mind, Arkham was not the place for him…Penelope would have her patient declared sane if not for certain circumstances concerning a certain stand-in doctor…

With Crane declared perfectly safe and sound, as well as not being a menace to society anymore, Young would be seen as having cured the 'sinister Scarecrow', and her opportunities would be boundless. And it all stemmed from helping a troubled man who was mistaken as being insane. Her hard work would be paid off in full and Jonathan…

Jonathan would be out in the world again, free of safety, free of the protection that Arkham offered…any recovered victim of his, any family member of one who was bent on revenge…Jonathan Crane was simply a dead man if other people were a fraction as prone to revenge as him.

And what if somehow no-one wanted to hurt him for what he had done? It wasn't as if he could resume his everyday normal life. No-one would hire him. No decent apartments would allow him to board. No friends or family…

Was it worth boosting her career if it meant Jonathan would suffer in the end? The polite patient who was willing to open himself up and be treated unlike her others…the man who saved her life from a psychopath…on the other hand, he was a man guilty of many crimes and would it be wrong for her to trade his life to better her own?

Her conflicting thoughts resulted in Penelope massaging her temple as if to relieve it of the pain that was brewing between her ears. Young hated feeling guilt, almost always feeling sure of her decisions and often overriding the amount she did feel with rational explanations.

Struggling to find an answer, Young decided that if she could find an adequate way of assuring Jonathan's well-being after Arkham she would do so. Not that she would have to be bothered with finding such a solution yet, with the circumstances surrounding him-

As always seemed the case, her thoughts were interrupted by someone else. This time it was an oaf of a guard named Jenks rapping his chubby hand on her open door, "Doctor Young? Your father is here to visit you."

Glancing up from her notes, Young's expression lightened from the downcast look it had undertaken during her mental struggle moments before, "Tell him I'll just be a minute. I need to finish what I'm doing."

Penelope was glad to hear that her father was stopping by. She enjoyed meeting with him, and even unexpected visits like this were music to her ears. Her enhanced mood did not last long before the mustached buffoon remembered another tidbit of information "Oh, and Dr. Absonus said he wanted to meet with you tommo-"

Glaring intensely at the guard, Young snapped, "I don't care what that man said!" Realizing how she had reacted, Young took a breath in to calm down. Looking down at her work again, she waved a hand to shoo the guard away, sighing as she said, "Leave me to my work."

The guard nodded and left wordlessly, leaving Young in complete silence once more save her own thoughts, something that she was actually not all the comfortable with given the route they had recently taken.

One thing was for sure, as uncommon as it was to her, as uncomfortable as it made her…Penelope knew she pitied and actually felt a slight bit attached to Jonathan Crane. She was going to see his treatment through to the end, and she vowed that nothing would change that.

* * *

><p>"Hello Father," Young greeted her Father, who seemed younger than the last time she saw him. His work seemed to do that to him, seemingly taking years off of him whenever he went across the world to go work for months at a time.<p>

His face was unbefitting for a man with gray whiskers on his chin, moustache and highlighting his dark hair. It appeared youthful, although that was again unbefitting of the experienced man it belonged to, "Hello Penelope. How are you doing?"

Deciding to push out her annoyed thoughts of Absonus, Young grinned, "I am well for the most part. Are you going to be in town for long?"

Henri Ducard's face assumed its natural look, a serious expression that one would use in business dealings, "As unexpected as my visit is, I will actually be staying for some while," A long term project has arisen and I need to plant its seeds so that it can go right."

Penelope nodded, her dark haired ponytail bobbing, "I see. Do you need a place to stay while you are in Gotham?"

Turning down the query, he shook his head politely, "Why no dear, I will be fine. I have some associates that I will be boarding with for the time being. Old friends you could say."

"Well I'm finished here, care to go out to town?"

A faint smile forming on his lips, Ducard nodded, "That sounds fine. Anyplace you have in mind?"


	30. Session 30: Abandoned

Thanks to Black391, Lady Ano, Quelara, and me-ladie for the great reviews! Here is another chapter for you to feast upon while I go play DC Universe Online...actually have been having a bit of fun on the PvE server under the name "The Scar3cr0w". If anyone plays, I'll be happy to group with you. I stick to Gotham mainly, which makes sense, so thats where I'll be and I'll be doing level 8-13 quests.

So, for those that noticed, I set up the Henri Ducard thing up in chapter 13. For those who do not know who Ducard is, he is the man who trained Batman to be Batman. If you want more info, just go watch Batman Begins. Or look him up on a Batman wiki. Either will do. Or look up Liam Neeson's IMDB profile and you can find him there...click on the name Henri Ducard and it'll give you his page.

I hope everyone enjoys, although if you don't maybe the possibility of a second chapter today interests you?

* * *

><p>38. Abandoned<p>

* * *

><p>Penelope waved her second to last patient, Harvey Dent, goodbye and watched as Crane was brought in. As with all of their sessions Young undid Crane's straightjacket and he thanked her politely for the freedom given to him. After she had taken her seat Young had a sudden idea strike her.<p>

With her growing knowledge of the tortured man, Young had a growing curiosity with his past. A piece was missing though, although he had touched upon it briefly in the past before, "Jonathan, I have to admit I am a little curious about how your family life was like during your childhood. You have mentioned parts of it previously, but you haven't spoken of it exclusively," realizing that it may be a sensitive issue, she added, "Would you mind?"

Crane did all he could to resist a slight smirk, for smiling wouldn't fit in with the old tale he was about to recall. If she hadn't already been caught up in the tales of the oh so tortured Jonathan Crane, this was sure to reel her in. Jonathan decided to play it off as a trivial matter, for he wouldn't want his doctor to think that he was just playing on whatever sense of pity she had, "Not at all Doctor. There is very little to tell actually…I never knew my father, my mother abandoned me, and my grandmother rose and abused me. That is about it."

Deciding to press on for his own good, Young responded, "Jonathan…would you mind giving me a not watered down version? It will help me help you if I understand you better."

While it played directly into his plan, Crane was a little displeased with how easy it had become to manipulate her. He barely had to try at this point, but he found it hard to not be content with what it meant. Her easy manipulation meant that his plan was succeeding, "I see. If you so insist, my family life was a bit frightening to say the least. I was born out of wedlock, and my father hadn't wanted me. As such I grew up without my father, and my mother was little better. For the years she actually stayed with me she never was caring or kind, often drunk or just in a foul mood.

Taking a slight pause, Jonathan continued, Young to focused on listening to make a comment, "Her mother, my grandmother, was a witch of a woman who had forced my mother to not get an abortion due to her own obsessive devotion to her religion. I guess being forced to have me made my mother resent me as much as I resent her. After a few years my mother had had enough with me and just left. From then until adulthood I stayed with her abominable mother who routinely punished me for menial things and often for no reason."

Jonathan noted how his doctor was biting her bottom lip lightly, seemingly nervous as he took a breath before continuing, "This had started before my mother left though, for she seemed to enjoy my suffering at times and did not lift a finger to stop my grandmother. Punishments would vary from beating me to the brink of death, burning my skin with fire to 'purge' my sin away, and tying me to a post in our sprawling yard and put special clothes on me…clothes that caused the crows to go into a frenzy because of what my dear grandmother put in them," the Scarecrow side of him was gleeful over how shocked Young appeared, her eyes having widened and her hands having stopped writing on her clipboard, "Hours would pass as I was mobbed by these birds, pecking at my skin, still hanging from the post. I bled and screamed, but nothing could get someone to come help. And people did know of what happened to me, but no-one ever did anything. Who would care about that weird kid Jonathan? When I tried to report her to child services when I was ten, they ignored me and said that I didn't have enough evidence…this is despite the fact that I was bleeding and had second degree burns at the time."

After he finished there was a moment of silence, Crane having finished speaking and Penelope in shock over what she had heard. After that moment though Young regained her composure, although her eyes still conveyed her awe, "I…I honestly don't know what I should say. That's just horrible what she did to you, and how could your mother leave you with someone like that?"

The dominos began to fall just the way Crane had set them up to, "The same way that she could leave me behind out of disgust, yet go and start a family where she was happy and loving towards her new daughter."

Young gasped, speaking in blatant disgust, "Wait, she did what? How could someone even do that and live with them self? I can't even…" realizing that she had once again lost her aura of professionalism, Young took a breath in to calm herself. With a more neutral voice, she spoke with only a tint of anger at Crane's family, "Are you angry at your mother? And what about your sister? Do you resent that she was loved while you were abandoned out of revulsion?"

From Crane's perspective this conversation could not have gone any better, "I do feel an innate hatred towards my sister for how she was treated compared to how I was. I know that life is not fair, but it is certainly worse for some than others. I absolutely hate my mother for everything she has done, or in some cases not done. Neither of those hatreds matches what I feel towards my grandmother, the horrible zealot she was."

Raising her brow, Young felt a slight amount of relief flood her, "So she has passed away? I would give my condolences, but I don't think that she actually deserves them. How did she die?"

"Heart attack."

Crane couldn't help but grow a small grin this time, although he hid it behind a hand. After all, it had been the first time he had used a form of his fear gas on anyone, and its effects had been quite invigorating.

* * *

><p>A stray blue flower that Jonathan had found happened to be the most useful ingredient. After trying to find useful qualities in almost anything he could find, he had no qualms about trying out the flowers that he found laying under his backpack.<p>

"JONATHAN! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU SATAN SPAWN!"

When its chemical qualities were harnessed, the effect was likely quite debilitating. A small whiff of it gave wild hallucinations…

"I SAID WHERE ARE YOU?"

Estimated effects would be to increase someone's heart rate by a large degree and to focus their thoughts on their absolute worst nightmare.

"JONATHAN, WHEN I FIND YOU I AM GOING TO-"

Now, who better to try it on but the shrieking banshee who had been filling him with fear since the day he was born?

"THERE YOU ARE!"

And if it didn't work to the degree he wished, he already had more of the flowers growing in his private garden. Hard to cultivate, but their effects were astonishing…

"What are you doing you evil spawn? DON'T YOU DARE FIGHT BAC-"

He waited until the ensuing heart attack had killed her to even touch the phone and dial 911.

* * *

><p>Giving a slight nod, Young decided to touch upon a different aspect of the topic, "When was the last time you saw your mother and sister?"<p>

Jonathan groaned, disliking the memories that were stirred within him, "When I last saw them? Why it was the day I first saw them together. It disgusted me so much and angered me to the point that I could not bear to see them ever again."

Penelope shook her head sadly, "I see…I hope I never have to go through what you have."

Jonathan sighed, "I do too. No one deserves to live the life I have."

Deciding to test his conviction, Young asked, "What about the Joker? Or Zsasz?"

"They would be even more messed up than they are if they went through what I did. Zsasz's gambling problem with Penguin is really the only real bad thing that happened to him, which he even caused himself, and look how bad he turned out. Now put him under my circumstances…that would be a recipe for disaster."

"I see. You know, you would think that the people of Gotham would be more willing to help out those with such great troubles as yourself. This city is truly a horrible place and the people in it are no better."

"That it is doctor. That it is."


	31. Session 31: Hunger

Okay, everything is back on track now that I have gotten my computer fixed and have gotten the chance to rewrite what was lost. Thank you all for your patience, and know that will be extra diligent to make up for the losses incurred by my computer issues.

So here is the next chapter, and I hope you can all enjoy it. I got the inspiration while looking at Crane's character art for Arkham awhile ago, and now I've got it down. As the past few chapters have been kind of dark I decided to do a lighter one.

Special thanks goes to Contradiction Queen and Sango1316 for adding this story to your alert and Rio Voltaire, mjlaub, Vandgard, and Fact1-I-Hate-You for adding it to your favorites! Furthermore, special thanks to Black391, Bashlei, and Rio Voltaire for the reviews! You all are great, and I hope to continue writing a story you all can enjoy.

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><p>87. Hunger<p>

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><p>Things had begun to simmer down, with Young focusing on less serious topics that would more often than not avoid painful flashbacks for him, which Young was growing sick of. They were so horrible, yet they all had the same recurring tragedy in that they culminated in what lay before her…Young wanted to move past what made him the Scarecrow and focus on what made him Jonathan.<p>

They were drawing towards the end of their session when Young noticed something unusual. Crane seemed to be more tired than usual, and less animated. He was also speaking less, and looking into nothing more often. Curious, Penelope was about to ask about his behavior when she heard a slight rumble emanate from her patient.

He was hungry. Knowing that Jonathan was supposed to have eaten right before their session, Young was confused as to how this could be…unless he hadn't eaten it…Young could not believe it. Her patient wasn't on a hunger strike, was he? No. Jonathan wasn't the sort to do something like that without a particularly good reason, which he would have of course shared with her of all people. So what was the matter with him? Thinking about it, her patient was slim to begin with and over time he had appeared to become even more gaunt…

Jonathan stretched his legs and yawned lightly just as a concerned look appeared on Young's face, "Jonathan, have you been eating?" He shook his head no. Noticing his slight frame, it appeared to be even slimmer than in their other sessions. Young had noticed such a change before, but it was not uncommon for some people to change weight over time. This…just looked unhealthy, "You look thinner every time you come here. Is anything wrong that is keeping you from eating?"

His stomach was growling again…

Young grimaced as she noticed a nonchalant look grow on her patient's face, "I do not enjoy eating what is passed off as 'food' here…when it won't cause me to starve to death, I avoid it."

Not pleased with how little he cared for his health, but understanding of the hatred of his food, Young nodded but her expression did not lighten, "The food here is quite terrible. I always bring something to eat here so I don't have to ingest the slop," holding a finger up scoldingly, Young continued on, "However, you don't have that alternative. If you aren't well nourished you may suffer from some health problems."

Jonathan scoffed, his non-caring look being replaced with a look of annoyance, "What need have I of being healthy?" Raising his eyebrows, he continued, "So I can go outside and go for a nice walk? To make sure I live a long and hearty life? To help protect me from disease?" Letting loose a small laugh, Jonathan continued to argue Young's statement, "What motivation do I, an inmate in a asylum for the mentally insane, have for staying healthy? I am going to be here for the rest of my life, so does it truly matter?"

Penelope was growing frustrated. If he didn't take care of himself and something happened to him, then she would have wasted all of her effort on him just because he didn't care for himself in the slightest. Refusing to lose her most valuable patient, Young decided to change the route of the conversation, "So you don't care if you're starving yourself because you do not care about what might happen?"

Jonathan, thinking she was beginning to give in, nodded, "Precisely."

Young was filled with disbelief that she was actually going down this train of thought with him…it was embarrassing to her and her professionalism, but whatever allowed her patient to continue living…"And if the food here was not so bad, would you start to eat more?"

He was caught off guard by the question, for it suggested special treatment that was not given in Arkham. Hesitantly, Jonathan replied, "It may help the process, but no guarantees."

Yes, Young thought to herself, she was going to go there…."Do you like Chinese?"

* * *

><p>"Hello, I would like to like to have two orders of General Tso's chicken to go please."<p>

Young gave a light sigh. She was officially having lunch with her patient now during their sessions. She wondered what the next low she would have to stoop to would be. For now, to ensure he received at least one decent meal a day she was bringing him food.

If any of the other psychologists were to learn of this she would be in a lot of trouble…

Young once again cursed Harleen Quinzel for the paranoid nature of Arkham's staff. She was only bringing him food so he wouldn't die of starvation. They weren't in a relationship of any sort besides doctor/patient, so there should be no issue, right?

The repercussions would still be horrible though, should this be found out…Young just chalked it up as one more risk of working at the insane asylum known as Arkham, but rather than one posed by the criminals and psychopaths within the walls it was one posed by the do-good psychologists.


	32. Session 32: City

Thanks to Black391 (who couldn't review normally, but did so via messaging), Bashlei, and me-ladie for the reviews!

To keep the momentum going, I am giving you all another chapter today! To be honest, I am happy every chapter I get closer to 40 (which is when I will be able to mass release chapters due to them being 75% written up until chapter 60). So, here is number 32 for you all, and hope you enjoy!

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><p>64. City<p>

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><p>Jonathan was slightly displeased with Arkham's security. It was just…to easy. Here he was, supposed to be in the most secure place in the asylum and yet he went free whenever he pleased…the guards didn't dare check up on the fearsome Scarecrow and Joker more than not, so once he got out no one was there to check on him. And the security cameras? Joker broke those every other Wednesday.<p>

While Jonathan detested the clown, he did have to admit the man's tendencies could be useful and were often nigh impossible to stop. Who could, in reality, stop a force of nature? Joker had become exactly that for Gotham. Jonathan was aware that Joker was planning a major scheme, but was content ignoring it until it would involve him in some way.

Shaking his head and banishing all thoughts of Joker, Jonathan looked around him to find himself in Arkham Mansion. The guards patrolling the grounds and the hallways really were to lax under Cash. It benefited him though, so it was without any hassle that Jonathan literally walked in the front door of the mansion.

Crane was on this expedition to search the mansion for anything interesting. He originally wanted to do it the night he "stayed" there, but the riot prevented him from doing so. So now he could snoop around as he wished…

First stop: Young's office. He needed to check up on her notes, see if she was becoming overly suspicious of him. A small to medium level was to be expected for he _was_ a living, breathing Gotham Rogue. To much heat would not bode well for him though, so this was necessary for his plan to keep on track.

Upon entering, he almost flicked the light switch when he heard someone breathing.

Well this was unexpected. Another long night for his doctor he presumed. Young had her head leaning on her desk, a notepad under one hand and a pen in the other. Jonathan was genuinely surprised that a doctor sleeping was more dangerous to him than all the security on the way there…no wonder Arkham was seen as a revolving door.

Was Young a heavy sleeper? Jonathan felt that she would be exhausted with the hours she often kept, but was it worth the risk? Weren't there any people in charge of making sure that employees go home safely at night? If there was, Jonathan was going to make sure they paid for this kink in his plan. Now, what to do with his dear doctor…

Sneaking further into her office he saw something that caught his eye. Her file cabinet was open, and judging by the lack of any files around Penelope, it was safe to assume that he wasn't the only person roaming Arkham that night. But who? Joker was busy torturing a mouse when Crane left, and the others were still high off of their last riot, so who? Another patient of Young?

Thinking of his doctor's poor track record in the hearts of his compatriots, another thought crossed his mind…was his doctor okay? The others hated her, and as much as he wanted to crush her mentally, and for someone to ruin that for some petty hatred…

He knew she was breathing, but Penelope didn't seem the type to crash face first onto her desk. An odd feeling of panic entered him, not the fear he was accustomed to which was the fear for himself, as he rushed to her side. Sure enough, there was a drink on her desk that was partially empty. To entertain himself, Crane shook her roughly and she did not stir in the slightest. Someone had drugged her…as long as she was still breathing, Crane supposed that she would be fine.

Jonathan scolded his own childish action, for if she had truly just been sleeping she would have awoken…what was done was done though, so he decided to move on. Walking over to the filing cabinet, he decided to see which file was missing, a bad feeling in his gut.

Just as the drugged drink was obvious to him, so was his own file being absent along with the entire folder of C. Also missing was X, but Crane had no care for who else had their file stolen. Someone had beat him to it, and he was not happy.

Thinking of who may wish to read about him more, Crane let out a small growl. The blasted Doctor Absonus was once again interfering with his work, something that would not stand. Crane had threatened him before, so he knew the risks of messing with Jonathan Crane.

Deciding that stewing in anger over it would achieve nothing, Jonathan decided to move onto his next stop in the mansion. As he passed her desk, Jonathan noted that her lab coat had fallen off her chair after he shook her. While falling asleep on her desk may seem odd to her, finding her coat on the floor would make Penelope very suspicious.

Thinking that since he had done this he had better remedy it, Jonathan begrudgingly picked the coat up and put it on her chair again. After he placed it Jonathan took note of her apparel, noting the light pink necklace hanging from her neck and laying on the desk while ignoring the purple shirt and grey pants. Young, wearing jewelry? That was kind of odd, for she didn't seem to care for such things. He concluded that she must have some personal attachment to the necklace.

While walking towards his next stop Jonathan got an idea. The Warden was a blithering idiot, right? Why not check out his office during this little excursion, for he was sure to leave out all of his important documents when he stopped working for the day.

Jonathan was becoming more and more appalled by the lack of security in the Mansion…not that they probably thought anyone could get this far, but it was still pathetic. Arkham was one big joke…Crane had no doubt that it was one of the reasons why Joker was always laughing when he was brought here.

Inside the office of the warden himself…Quincy Sharp had locked his door, but it was easily picked. Once inside Crane gave a light laugh. The warden _had_ left his documents out as if they were a present to Crane himself.

"How did this man become warden in the first place?"

Glancing over some of the plans and documents all throughout the room, Crane quickly lost interest. They had no bearing on him, as most of them were merely reports concerning the recent breakout and plans to "restructure" the asylum. They all spoke as if Sharp could get something done…

What _did_ interest Crane was the locked off section in the office with about eight padlocks on the door. A couple minutes later, Crane found himself entering the sealed off room with a devilish grin. The Warden obviously was much more protective about this room than his actual office, and since criminals were not supposed to get this far it meant that he was hiding this from his coworkers…

Statues of Sharp….a portrait of Sharp…Jonathan was stunned by how egocentric the man was. A TV was attached high on the left wall, with protection over it for some odd reason while the light also had the same protection…Sharp was paranoid, yet stupid. Filing cabinets and stacks of paper were abundant, the entire room seemingly filled with paper.

What was the secret behind it all though? Jonathan's eye caught a map laying on Sharp's desk in the room, and deciding that it may be of interest, took more of a look at it.

* * *

><p>Crane was laughing nervously, the laugh slowly turning into a cackle. That idiot…he didn't think that this would actually work, did he? The man was more insane than the Joker if he was convinced that it could…<p>

Arkham City? Now that was a scary thought.


	33. Session 33: Deep in Thought

Okay, I kind of wrote this one blindly. I had an idea going in, but I'm not exactly sure if what I wrote matches what I set out to do or not. I can't really see how to modify it now that I've finished it, so I just hope that you all enjoy it!

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><p>52. Deep in Thought<p>

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><p>Young was completely exhausted for some inexplicable reason, so much so that she blew off all of her appointments in favor for more Titan research. Her patients sure didn't mind, and Penelope made sure to see Jonathan despite her own exhaustion. Even the supposed crazy was responsive to her tired state, and he suggested that they cut the meeting short to allow her to get the rest she needed.<p>

Young, head lowered onto her desk and her eyes shut, found it hard to fight off a smile. Jonathan was like a true patient now, not just another Gotham Rogue who resisted their doctor (or dated them as the case may be).

Physically tired but not at all impaired mentally, Penelope decided that since she was pretty much having a sick day that she could spare a moment to think. With everything that had been occurring in Arkham since she had taken Crane as a patient, there was quite a lot of things to ponder.

Kellerman had come back to question her thoughts about Crane, on whether she still thought him to be sane. Young hated when people questioned her, disliking it even more so when they continued to do so, so she had brushed him off with no real answer. The confrontation did make her curious about her sessions with Crane though. Even if she would never admit it to anyone, she still held some small doubts on Jonathan.

Young let out a deep breath as she thought to herself, 'Is he insane like they say? I don't know…is he the monster others make him out to be? Again, I have no idea…why do I even care? Is treating him really that important to me? This has to be one of the more dangerous choices in my life, and for what? Notoriety? My Titan project will gain me much more of that than any single patient, so what do I truly have to gain through this?'

Young groaned when she realized she had no real answer, at least none that fit her liking. She was amazed at how much her life seemed to revolve around this patient though these days, and yet she didn't even have an idea as to why.

Thinking back to her paranoia, Young gave another sigh, 'He was a horrible patient to all the other psychologists…why is he being so compliant with me? Something is definitely not right. I may have been kinder to him than the others, but I don't think that that would change Jonathan's attitude any,' putting her arms underneath her head for comfort, she continued, 'So what is going on? Has he just decided to receive the treatment he so needs?'

He had spoken with her so much…Young actually felt as though she was a confident to him, just as she should be as his psychologist. He told her of his many woes, of all the things that had gone wrong in his life. Jonathan had hooked her into his tragic life and now Young could not help but feel sorry for the man whose straightjacket she always unfastened.

Sure he had a pretty convincing sob story, but what made her feel for his over say Harvey Dent's? Dent went from Gotham's white knight to being one of its more sinister Rogues, a horrible tragedy in which he also lost his fiancé. So why did this bullied, tortured man captivate her more with his stories? Young was once again left with no real answer, but tried to justify it by the repeated nature of Crane's misfortune.

And to complicate matters further, Crane had also saved her life from Victor Zsasz…and yet he was built up to be this horrible psychopath with no regard to human life. What was the truth? And if he really was some sicko and she just couldn't pick up the vibes, then why had he done it? Why was he on such good behavior?

Those numbing grey-blue eyes of his didn't help matters for her either, for Young had found herself lost in them during a couple sessions. They were such dreary eyes, with colors befitting the sadness of his life, but Young could not help but feel embarrassed by looking into them. Yet when she did press on past her insecurity Young would only feel a certain void the more she looked.

'His eyes tell so much more than anything else about him…they show the emotions that he is repressing to maintain his composure. They have shown me what is going on inside his head better than any other part of our talks…but what I've seen in them has not been comforting. They feel….empty.'

A shudder went down Penelope's back as she pictured Jonathan's rainy eyes.

'Jonathan…he honestly scares me in a weird way,' thinking about what she had just thought, Young groaned, 'He would get a kick out of it if he could see what I just said in my thoughts, but I don't care. The man I talk to in our sessions has been polite and an awfully interesting person to talk to, but I have a feeling that maybe the person shown to me isn't who he truly is…when he smiles, it is the most frightening thing I have ever seen. It fills me with dread to see him smile, however odd that sounds. He rarely if ever does so, but when it does I am horrified.'

Realizing that she was mentally complaining to herself about how her severely tortured and hurt patient smiling was a bad thing, she felt a need to explain herself to herself.

'His smile scares me because of the feelings it stirs within me. I don't know what they are, and the fact that Crane seems to know often irks me. I am supposed to understand him, not vice-versa.'

Frustrated with how much he was taking over her thoughts, Young decided to stop pondering Jonathan Crane. To become to attached to him and to think about him to much could only lead to bad things, so she halted her current line of thinking. Because she was thirsty Young decided to finish the glass of water she started yesterday before falling asleep at her desk.

Drowsily she grabbed the glass with one arm as she sat up straight and opened her eyes. She was awfully groggy, she would admit that, and she was going to make sure to get enough sleep that night so as to not feel the same the next day. She hated being unproductive, but Penelope could not help it if she could barely move.

Gulping down the last little bit of water, Young instantly collapsed onto her desk.

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><p>After running into her drugged the night before, Jonathan decided to check up on his doctor again to make sure she was fine. She was extremely tired during their session, so much so that he suggested that they end it. She was no use to him collapsed on her desk.<p>

Sure enough, Young was face first on her desk again. Same as before. Looking at her, Jonathan could see an almost serene look upon her face, as though she fell asleep while she was deep in thought. A small part of him felt curious to know what she was thinking about so deeply, but he ignored it to attend to the matter at hand.

Letting out a deep sigh, Jonathan shook his head. This was not good. Sure, the now empty water glass meant that she had merely poisoned herself with the same drink as before, but it still meant that someone had put some sort of 'medicine' that knocked her out twice and left her extremely exausted inbetween drinks.

Checking his mental tasklist for the night, Crane added two items.

Agenda item number seven: Find out who was drugging his doctor and slowing his experiment.

Agenda item number eight: Fear gas and kill person discovered in agenda item seven.

Her cabinet now magically had the files that were missing the day before, and Crane decided it was time to borrow them himself (he reasoned that it was borrowing as he was intent on returning the files so as to avoid suspicion).

Knowing that she would be fast asleep for some time and that the mansion grew deathly cold at night, Jonathan took the lab coat off her seat and wrapped it around her. She was going to be to tired to notice the change the next day, and he had just assured that she would not accrue any illness. Satisfied, he left to go work down his list of things to do.


	34. Session 34: Playing the Melody

Well, to prove I'm back and will be, I give you the 34th installment of the story! Now we've gone beyond the 1/3 point and numero 50 will be hit by March 5th. I can't believe how fast things are going by, but I guess the long haul will be the next 5-6 chapters...you see, I plan ahead better than I plan the now, so once we hit 40 things will be much more planned than simply choosing a theme that fits well after the last chapter/can be crossed off in a decent way!

So, I hope you enjoy, for there are a couple guest appearances in this chapter. Can you guess who? The first two don't count, and I would find it _hilarious_ if you didn't get one of them!

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><p>67. Playing the Melody<p>

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><p>The mad clown had murdered three guards in the squad sent to bring him to his therapy…a lucky fourth had managed to appear dead, but Joker didn't notice that the man was in fact only unconscious from that brutal punch to the gut.<p>

After spending so much time locked up in here, Joker had decided to show why Arkham was known as a revolving door among those who lived in Gotham. After this beginning of a riot, Joker thought it would be wise to celebrate with song.

Prancing around like the idiot he wanted others to see him as, Joker spoke in a sing-song voice, "Don't be such a spoilsport! Sing it with me Johnny-boy! Roses are red, violets are blue, these guards are dead, and you will be too! Get in the spirit of things Scarey-warey!"

Crane let out a deep breath, thinking to himself, 'Don't react, and he might just go away.'

Growing tired of Crane ignoring him, Joker shrugged, "Well if you aren't willing to play, I bet some more guards are!" Running out into the hallway beyond the maximum security and isolation area where they were kept, Joker yelled out for all to hear, "Seeya chumps! I got places to meet and people to go!" Turning towards a security camera, he said, "Oh, and if you wouldn't mind, tell Harley to not wait up for me! I'm busting this joint!"

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><p>It took the clown only an hour to escape the facility, thanks to the security codes and provisions that the security guard Frank Boles gave him. Boles was scum in Crane's eyes, an alcoholic that would willingly work with the Joker, but he was safe in the eyes of the Rogues and other criminals as Joker's mole much to Crane's chagrin. He would love to experiment on the fellow, for he had very little tests done on drunk patients. It would be interesting to see how affected they would be, or if the chemicals and alcohol would be a deadly combo…or rather, more deadly, as his fear formulas were not to kind to a person once injected.<p>

Whatever the case, Jonathan was now stuck consoling a distraught Harleen Quinzel (partly his own fault he realized in hindsight for ever befriending her) who after mere minutes had begun to miss her boyfriend…if that was in fact the correct term. Jonathan didn't care much for the 'visits' Harley paid the man who lived in a cell across his own…those were the nights he spent in his lair, torturing guards who strayed to far away from their squad. Both rooms had screams, but only one of them had ones of terror.

Harley was pouting right into his shoulder, her head leant against his skinny frame as they sat on his bed, "He didn't even take me! If I didn't know for a fact that my puddin' was coming back, I would be even sadder!"

The woman was more like a child emotionally…Crane was quite curious as to how she had become Harley Quinn outside her well known debut. Was she a tortured child like himself? Did she have a mental instability all along? Or was she actually just obsessed with the Joker, deluding herself into a belief that they were in love? If the latter was the actual case, then it wouldn't be out of the question to have her be cured of her obsession, but such a change would require Joker to be gone…dead…forever. Not the fake deaths that were so common among Rogues, especially that dreaded Hugo Strange, but to actually be out of the picture for good.

But who would see her? From their discussions on Joker and Harley, Jonathan picked up the vibe that Young hated Quinn…but that may actually work out. She hated who Quinn was at the moment, not who Quinn was without the Joker years before. So maybe he could speak with Young about it should Joker kick off in the near future…not that Jonathan thought the clown would, but with their lifestyle it was a possibility at every moment. The Scarecrow may be the scourge of the city, but the Joker was the herald of everything wrong with Gotham.

But the timing required would mean that Joker would have to die soon…Young was to be broken soon. Jonathan was close to earning her entire trust, not the 95% he had been hanging on for awhile, he could feel it. And he had read her files. That helped too. He was also not very far from completing the special brand of fear toxin meant for Young, designed for maximum length and lethality. Crane had also created an antidote to it, for not even his own immunity to the others would protect him from this. It was to strong for anyone to survive, even with a general immunity.

Yes, Young was going to pay dearly for using him as a pawn in her own game of power. He would be reveled as a hero by the other rogues for finally killing the doctor…

'So the whole idea of using her as Harley's doctor is a bust…but who else could be of any use? Gretchen Whistler and her awful eastern bloc or whatever accent?' Jonathan pondered for a moment, before giving a sigh, 'Me. I would have to be the one to cure her. She trusts most of her fellow Rogues, and we've spent enough time together for her to cry on my shoulder for hours while the guards look for traces of Joker…'

Trying to sound comforting, but failing miserably, Jonathan patted the blond on the back, "Harley, he will be back. The Bat always sends us back here, doesn't he?"

Wiping away her tears, Harley gave a shaky grin as she stopped sobbing, "Yeah, and Puddin said there would be a special surprise for everyone when he returned! I wonder what it's gonna be?"

Joker…and surprises. Jonathan took a mental note to be hiding in his lair upon Joker's next arrival, for the sick clown's idea of a surprise was mass genocide…

Checking the clock he stole from an office during one of his late night prowls, Jonathan sighed, "Harley, not to be rude, but it's three in the morning. Can I go to bed? I have an important meeting in the morning."

"Oh yeah! I heard all about ya therapy with the doctah," standing up and exiting his cell, she said giggled, "Wouldn't want you to be cranky and tired during ya 'session' tomorrow, now would we?"

Not getting what the deranged woman was getting at, she left his cell skipping while singing some childish song…something about love and a baby carriage. Ignoring her and taking note to not let her into his cell when she was like this in the future, Jonathan laid down on his uncomfortable bed and closed his eyes to sleep.

No Joker…Arkham was without the main Rogue. After a brief power struggle as always, some Rogue would come out as the top dog in Arkham and would fill the void that was made by the clown's departure. Jonathan never was one to partake in these brawls, preferring to not be in the spotlight for the person who was may get authority over goons like Zsasz and Killer Moth, but they also were watched closer by the guards…Crane preferred his good behavior to fighting unnecessarily. What would the good doctor think of him anyways if he were to be seen in one?

No, he was going to just lay low and let things happen for the time being. Support Two-Face as usual alongside Riddler, earning him loyalty with one of the major Rogues while doing practically nothing and also assuring that he never would run out of test subjects…Two-Face could be a dastardly villain at times, but the Harvey portion of him could be a great ally to have. Smooth talker, friendly at times, and not as much of a psycho as many of the other Rogues.

Still, it was the scarred half that was the one who supplied Crane with fresh subjects.

Jonathan was going to miss his conversations with his doctor though…on one level he could see how she was genuinely trying to help him, unlike those other doctors who hadn't cared about his wellbeing one ounce.

Still, a plan was a plan and the plan said she would suffer and cry until her horrible end…


	35. Session 35: Fortitude

Special thanks to Black 391 for the review!

I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the upcoming chapters! If anyone has ideas, character suggestions for guest appearances, or anything of the like, just leave a review with it all! I am very open to suggestions and would love to hear all of your input! With an estimated 30+ readers whenever I post something, I definitely would like to hear your opinions and thoughts so I can better write for you all!

I hope you all enjoy. I decided to throw another character in there this time because it fit quite well.

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><p>20. Fortitude<p>

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><p>For the first time in what felt like forever, Young wasn't about to collapse by merely standing. She felt the slightest bit of exhaustion, but it was nothing compared to the all-nighters she had pulled working before on her pet project titled Titan. Designed to help weaker patients survive the harsher treatments at Arkham, Titan was still going through testing after so much time. Young's reputation was tied directly to the formula, both as Arkham's head of research and as a professional. If it failed, then so did she.<p>

Things had been progressing well, all things considered. After acquiring patient X for testing everything had improved drastically, his Venom fueled body ideally suited to study. Young wasn't looking for another steroid like Bane's Venom, only meant to increase one's strength, but also one that could strengthen patients mentally for their treatment. Some could just not handle the methods of Arkham, which were proven to be very effective clinically and helped many low-threat cases within the decrepit facility.

Young just needed test subjects that could handle it in its infancy…if she could not study their mental acuity for more than a few minutes, then she would never succeed in perfecting that portion. The physical parts of it needed much of the improvement, with many subjects becoming as hideous as the walls of Arkham, or simply put their entire body was like Two-Face's bad side. That was slowly showing improvement though, with the subjects becoming less and less monstrous as experiments continued.

Young was still not satisfied with the test subjects she was presented with on a constant basis. She asked for strong, durable ones for the time being until she could master the Titan formula, but often received people skinnier and less healthy than Jonathan. They lasted thirty seconds on average, and despite that being an increase it was not worth the countless lives that were thrown at it. A couple strongmen criminals could advance the project so much further, but if this were to continue Young was keen on stopping all experiments until that kind of candidate was found.

That was unless she received aid from someone else familiar and skilled with chemicals…instantly thinking of her favorite patient, Young gasped as she realized that she was about to be late for their appointment. She had to do a couple more tests before she could leave, especially another reading on patient X.

Approaching the unmoving giant carefully, Young held her breath with the hope that he was asleep. When she reached him she was startled, almost dropping her needle and gasping as the patient opened his eyes and shifted his head towards her. When he didn't speak, Young decided to try and keep him calm, "I'm just taking your vitals and a blood sampling Bane, you don't have to thrash around ag-"

His face twisting in rage, Bane bellowed, "The day I get loose I will break you Bruja for what you've done to me!"

Leaning away from him, Young held her arms up in protest, "Now now, you don't have to be so rude. Once we finish the Titan project you'll be moved in with the other patients and everything will be normal."

Returning to a calm state, Bane looked Penelope in the eye and scoffed, "When you finish it? Don't try making me laugh Bruja. I've been chained far too long to laugh at such a petty joke."

Approaching him once again, Young injected the needle into one of the bulging veins on his arm all the while asking curiously, "And what do you mean by that? Every trial we've come closer-"

Turning his head to see her, Bane just laughed for a moment before speaking, "Do you think that Senor Blanco is going to understand your constant failures? How about your inability to keep a Titan user alive for more than a minute?"

Becoming silent briefly, Young sighed before responding to the hulking man, "My formula is flawed, but we need stronger test subjects to get a better idea on how to improve it-"

Lowering his head and shaking it in disgust, Bane continued to insult her, "Whatever you want to convince yourself, Bruja. When 'Mr. White' comes knocking, expecting results, I suggest you don't open the door."

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><p>Scurrying into her office, Young placed her notebook and clipboard down on her table before hurrying over to her patient, "Sorry that I'm late Jonathan. We can extend the appointment if you want, I have no-one to see after you."<p>

As Young undid his straightjacket, Jonathan replied to her, "Thank you for the sentiment Doctor Young, but it is really unnecessary as we often go over our time limit as it is. Thank you for the food as well Doctor."

Now that he was free to move around, Young walked over to her chair at a more relaxed pace, "Anything to keep you healthy," taking a seat and breathing in deeply, Penelope smiled at her patient, "So, is there anything you want to speak about today or should I pick a topic at random?"

Crane looked at her thoughtfully, mulling things over before giving any response, "I would prefer for you to choose. I have been mentally preoccupied recently and have no topics in mind," deciding that he had to start upping the niceness he showed in order to finish this project off, he added, "By the way, I am glad to see that you are feeling better."

Taking note of her patient's kind attitude, Penelope beamed at him, "Thank you Jonathan. I must admit that I have been feeling quite exhausted the past few days. I feel much better today though and I'm glad that we can have a normal session again."

Jonathan had to resist a slight smirk. She honestly had no idea that someone had been drugging her, and by her mood he could tell that she hadn't noticed her missing files yesterday nor noticed their magical appearance back in their place today. He was still thankful that the poison hadn't been intended to kill her...but who would go to lengths to poison her without the intention of killing her? Sure, maybe a full dose of it may have made her slept permanently, but he had a feeling that such an event would be unintended. She probably couldn't finish a full dose anyways before collapsing...whatever the case, he had a bone to pick with someone for almost ruining the Scarecrow's long term goal, "As am I."

Still breathing heavily, Penelope tried to calm herself. She wasn't the most physically fit person in Arkham, so running from the lab had proved tiresome to her. Still, she preferred to not be nearly panting in front of her patient. Thinking back to the lab, Penelope remembered what she had been thinking about earlier.

"Jonathan, would you care to help me with a project?"

Seeing an opportunity to erase all of her doubts as to his sane state of mind and that he was a bad person, Jonathan smiled as he replied, "Why that would be interesting Doctor Young," suddenly he recalled that he had read in his own file that she was curious if he could contribute to the Titan project, whatever that was, "Are there any details you can share with me at this moment?"

Slightly stunned by the fact she had actually asked him coupled with the fact that he was willing to help, Penelope grabbed her notebook and clipboard off her desk, "Why of course. This project is titled Titan and it is a special steroid formula based on the Venom used by Bane. The difference is that it improves a person's mind as well as their body, and it is intended to allow weaker patients such as Nigma to undergo more intense therapies."

Handing Crane the materials, Young hovered by his side as he began looking at them, "We have been studying Bane intensively to understand better how the Venom he uses works so well with him in the hopes that we can have such great effects with the Titan."

Realizing that this must be the cause behind Bane's disappearance, Jonathan merely nodded as he continued to read all the information in front of him. Curious as to what his opinion was, Penelope mumbled, "So, if you're interested, you could help me finish the formula. I'm not the greatest chemist, but if you can do half of what others say you can then I am sure that you can fix what's wrong with it."

Taking one last look at the major details, Jonathan looked up at his doctor.

"Sure. Not like I have anything better to do."


	36. Session 36: Drive

Well not being able to log in was annoying, but at least it wasn't just me. I wish would tell us the next time they won't let you log in like that...a small, "we're updating now, go away for a couple days" would at least explained it.

Anyways, here is the chapter I was going to submit yesterday. Today's chapter will be posted much later, like in fifteen hours, so I hope you enjoy this one and see you guys then! Special thanks to M. Night Wolfalona for adding this story to their favorites and watch list, and much thanks to Blacky391 for the review, and Bashlei for the double review!

This chapter was literally based around the beginning of Arkham Asylum...it isn't the beginning of it, but the sign about hitchhikers and Frank Boles are in this chapter because I watched the Arkham Asylum intro again. Go figure, getting inspired by the game this is leading up to...

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><p>9. Drive<p>

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><p>It was not often that Young thought as she drove to work, for she knew that not paying attention to the road could lead to serious accidents (and one could never be to sure around Arkham anyways, so paying acute attention was a trait good for one's health). This particular ride she found her mind wandering, as had been common to her in recent occasions.<p>

Unsure as to why she was having a harder time concentrating on any one thing, Penelope decided to do her best job focusing on the road. She could not help but notice more things on her way than normal though.

Two men mugging a senior citizen in the Narrows…a young woman running down a street with some jewelry in her hand, likely grabbed from the other woman screaming down the street…two gangs beating each other with pipes and baseball bats…

Penelope shuddered as she watched a normal day in Gotham unfold before her…it was easy for her to understand why her father disliked the city so much, and even urged her to leave it subtly whenever they met. If it weren't for her projects then Young had no doubt that she would leave in a heartbeat, for she was to dedicated to just up and leave as it was. There was no use in calling the cops or alerting any kind of authorities of these incidents, for the few honest cops there was all were tangled up with fighting Rogues and the others were crooks themselves...

Continuing onto the long road to the asylum itself, Young groaned as she saw the sign that warned those driving to Arkham that hitchhikers may be escaped patients…it totally underscored the serious manner that Arkham held for itself as the top facility of its kind…

As she drew closer to the asylum itself, Young could see other cars coming in behind her. Wayne Enterprises had long taken an active interest in maintaining the asylum, upgrading the security whenever an advancement in technology was discovered by their top scientists. Arkham was practically run solely by things created by Wayne's technology head, Lucius Fox.

With this in mind, Young did not at all find it odd that so many Wayne Enterprise cars were behind her. Warden Sharp was paranoid on many levels, and he willingly complied with every security enhancement offered to them, his distrustful nature enhanced by the free technology given to him. Young was grateful for all the praise given to her by the warden, but she disliked him like every other member of Arkham. The man was demanding and at times very unprofessional, caring more about his personal ambitions than the asylum he was supposed to direct.

The Warden was even trying to run for mayor…like anyone would actually vote for him! That thought alone made Young want to laugh, thinking of what a failure Sharp was. Even with the handouts of amazing equipment he still never managed to keep the Gotham Rogues inside the facility for the rest of their unnatural lives.

Thinking of the memo she had gotten the day before, now there was going to be electrical field generators that shock any who attempt to pass through them horribly, not to mention upgrades to the existing control systems of all the various machines within the asylum. Now they would have a stronger encryption that could only be overridden by a high clearance security officer, the warden, a select few others, or a hacker on the level of the vigilante Oracle or that weirdo Calculator guy…even Lex Luthor wouldn't be able to touch these systems without doing quite some work. That's the quality of Wayne Enterprises for you. So good that it would take a member of the Batman cadre to break into it. The equipment would probably become ruined given some time, as nothing within Arkham seemed to last very long.

Given her psychotic patient's recent breakout (who Penelope wasn't missing in the slightest), the upped security was even more important to prevent further problems. The only way Young could see someone breaking out now would be to have key members of the staff under their thumb, members like Cash and herself who had full clearance to the facility (at least she did at the moment. Paranoid Sharp could always change that). But then again the staff of Arkham was screened to be sure that there would be no more Harley Quinn incidents…Young supposed that a guard or scientist could always be turned after joining the staff, but she felt reassured that no-one was pulling her strings. She only worked under the Warden and worked for their sponsors of the Titan project, no deadly contacts and side-employers to worry about.

In the passenger seat next to her laid her lunch, alongside it lay a similar order of her patient's. Jonathan turned out to be a picky eater albeit a grateful one, for he disliked 'tainted' foods such as bread with sauce on it or in this case rice with sauce on it. As such his General Tso's chicken was separated from his rice and broccoli while Penelope's was all together.

Penelope chuckled a little as she imagined Jonathan's response to mixed up food like hers. If he was not crazy, he was definitely eccentric. While Penelope wasn't exactly the most normal person on the block, in her opinion at least, she could still laugh at how horrified he appeared when she almost forgot to have his order be separated the other day (they had stayed so late that she ended up getting them dinner as well, as she noted Jonathan could eat quite a lot if he liked the food).

Now that they were going to be working together Young was sure that Jonathan could be proved to be a normal, sane person given the fact he would be working with her research team (the bumbling idiots they may be). Others would pick up on what she was feeling, and then Jonathan could just walk free.

Free…that idea made Penelope feel a little empty. Her favorite patient would be gone, if not now then in the relatively near future. His help would surely speed up the Titan project extremely, and by then Young would have the proof she needed to free him.

An idea struck Young like lightning, and she grinned.

When he went free, who would be better able to help troubled minds than a former psychologist who had one of the worst childhoods imaginable?

Pulling into Arkham and getting out of her car, Penelope didn't feel that bad. After taking her bags and the food out of the car she walked into the front of the security checkpoint with no hassle.

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><p>As soon as she could physically place her bags down in her office, the day's first annoyance showed itself.<p>

Leaning in her doorway was the scum known to the human race as Frank Boles, "Hey Doctor Young, you mind if I stick around awhile? I might be into doing a full body search if you know what-"

Not even turning to face him, Young put her things away as she replied curtly, "No, and it would still be a no even if you weren't a drunkard. Go bug someone else Boles, I'm sure at least _someone_ here can put up with you."

Displeased that he had just been shot down, Boles frowned and turned to leave, "Fine Ice Queen, I'll go see if any of your researchers wants to-"

Still not facing him, Young replied in a monotone this time, "Leave this building Boles or I _will_ write you up for inappropriate behavior."

Knowing that she had done so in the past, Boles held his arms up in defeat and left the room, "Sheesh, I'm going, I'm going."

Despite his compliance Young was going to write him up anyways, just as any of the other times he tried to speak with her. She had little tolerance for stupidity, but Boles pushed her buttons. All he ever seemed to want to do was drink cheap alcohol and try to be macho around his coworkers…not even the loosest of the women at Arkham would touch him, and none of the men really wanted to be seen around him. A few of the security staff played poker with him, but that was only to get a small and constant stream of money to supplement their income. Boles was horrible at playing, and everyone but him knew it.

Young had suggested to the other staff multiple times that Boles be let go, but with so few experienced security officers willing to work in Arkham these days they never put to much thought into it. His drinking problem had led him to be suspended in the past but that didn't stop the man from carrying his flask everywhere like the drunk he was.

Penelope sighed, deciding to push the vile man from her mind and replace him with more important thoughts concerning her projects…and luckily for her, her second project was now helping her with the first one so the two were easy to think about in conjunction.

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><p>Jonathan was currently in "Believe in Harvey Dent" mode, although he would never see it as such…at least not with that catchphrase that his evil fiancé had started. Two-Face was busy proving his superiority over some of the other major Rogues who wished to 'own' Arkham, so it was Jonathan's 'duty' to coerce the other ones into stepping down and bowing to the king of Arkham.<p>

The coin had come up on the bad side for Jonathan, so he was stuck doing this cleanup of lesser Rogues while Nigma got a free pass for getting the good side. Jonathan didn't mind so much because the targets he was given was limited to Tetch, who was too mad and schizophrenic to pose any threat coupled with his respect for the Scarecrow, Firefly, who was itching to fight him but to fearful to do it, and Killer Moth, who basically groveled at Crane these days.

Harvey was busy with an upstart new guy to the Asylum who wasn't like any of them…he was a vigilante rather than a Rogue, and he had only been passing through the town when he happened upon Batman. Thinking that the "inkblot man" was a new Rogue, he was fought with extreme difficulty by the Bat and dropped off at Arkham after Robin finally helped wrestle the man down. Jonathan would feel sorry that an innocent man had been sent to Arkham because of his chosen attire, but then again it was a vigilante who killed people like himself for a living, so Crane was not about to shed any tears.

The two faced former lawyer had decided to talk with the vigilante after yet another toss of his scarred coin coming good side up. Rather than wage war with a dangerous vigilante, as some lesser criminals learned via death in the recreational room, Harvey was going to attempt to persuade him to stay out of everything…Jonathan suspected that the man would have done that anyways, given that he didn't appear to have any wish to gain control in Arkham nor was he a villain, but he didn't question a man who would give anyone's life to chance over practically anything these days…Jonathan suspected that Harvey was beginning to get fed up with Arkham and merely was trying to take over Joker's place until he could escape.

For now Jonathan was fine with donning his mask if it meant that he could get his test subjects for the time being as well as have an established ally for when he finally decided to leave, likely after crushing Young.

Riddler was forming ties with Black Mask, who Jonathan failed to recognize as a true Rogue outside the fact that he had severely wounded one of the Bat family, and was teaming with Two-Face at the same time…if a gang war to emerge, the Riddler would be caught between them and that idea did not please Jonathan. Crane would dislike losing one of his two major supporters, his benefactor notwithstanding, to a petty gang war.

Jonathan would not get in his brainiac ally's way though, for it is up to people to make their own mistakes. He was looking into taking Black Mask out and assuring Two-Face's position in the underworld though…Joker and Penguin excluded, for Crane would never be foolish enough to wage war on either of them. With no henchmen it would be a very short-lived conflict for Crane.

And despite Harley's recent suggestion that all the Rogues get henchwenches like herself so that she could finally hang out with girls, the Scarecrow was _not_ looking into any such matter. He made sure to emphasize that to the childish woman when she last spouted that nonsense, and not even Harley could ignore a threat of fear toxin grade four…only one grade below what he used on most test subjects and three grades below the untraceable kind that was hard to produce…

Harley may be an idiot by his standards, but Jonathan seriously did not wish to harm her. She had enough abusive relationships already…one that is, but that one was with the Joker. Wishing to differentiate himself as another kind of crazy than the Joker, Jonathan had long before decided not to harm the blonde woman.

She made that pledge _very_, _very_ hard to keep though at times. It had taken both Riddler and Two-Face to keep her from visiting the 'new guy with the freckles', even though she full well knew that the man had killed more criminals than half the Rogues together had killed innocents.

Arriving at his first stop for the night, Jonathan looked into the Mad Hatter's cell to see the man clutching a copy of his favorite book…

Thinking to himself, Jonathan sighed, 'Better make this quick or he may invite me to some stupid tea party…'


	37. Session 37: Still

Sorry guys for not updating yesterday or Sunday...I have two excuses, although I really don't want to use them. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday I have slept 18 hours, done theater work for 30, had school for 8, had 10 hours of homework, and 6 hours in which I just plain needed to take a darn break from it all. I'm exhausted, and luckily my schedule today was kind of free so you guys get this monster...this has to tie for being the longest chapter with Memories, which is the other excuse. 3000+ words without this note at the top.

Thank you to Bashlei for the favorite and the review!

I hope everyone enjoys the padding, I mean chapter! (Which is padding until I get to 40 to be honest)

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><p>37. Still<p>

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><p>Doctor Young released Jonathan from his extreme isolation cell and unfastened his straightjacket (little did she know that it had been undone before her arrival, him only putting it on because he knew she was coming). Penelope was growing tired of having to do this though, thinking that having a sane person (such as Jonathan) in a straightjacket to be pointless and unnecessary. Nevertheless, Warden Sharp had been the one to place the order in the first place and Penelope couldn't change it without his authorization…Sharp hadn't noticed that she removed it during the sessions luckily. Once Jonathan was closer to being proved sane Penelope wanted to speak with the warden about her patient's unfair treatment. They had long since stopped giving the Joker the straightjacket, knowing that he had a million ways of getting <em>out<em> of it, so why should poor Jonathan have to go through wearing it?

Jonathan decided that a breath of fresh air was nice now and again, the musty and old air inside Arkham being not even in competition with it. He had been outdoors on Arkham before, for he was one of the patients who did the most travel, but he still felt some slight enjoyment in the change. En route to their research lab, Jonathan became curious of the growing flowers and plant life throughout Arkham's grounds.

Turning to her, Jonathan spoke to his psychologist as they continued walking, "Doctor Young, I've noticed that the flora seems to have been growing outside the main buildings. Is there a particular reason for this?"

Young perked her head at hearing her patient speak, previously caught up with her thoughts concerning him, "Well Jonathan, the reason for that is that Arkham has decided to grow some of the native flora so that we can use them for medicinal reasons."

Taking this into account, Jonathan thought about the whole idea aloud, "Odd, but I suppose that it makes some sense," very close to them, on the side of one of the decrepit buildings, Jonathan saw movement. As the grounds were usually devoid of people and the spot was sketchy, Jonathan decided to look in that direction and continue observing, "Why waste money getting rid of what can be used for free?"

Young nodded, not noticing what Crane was looking at, nor what he was growing tense about, "Exactly. The program st-"

In a sudden burst, Jonathan grabbed Young and pulled her behind a large piece of flora. Stunned and confused, Young gasped before yelling, "What the hell-"

Holding his index finger to his lips and shooshing her, he pointed at the building he had been focused on, "Firefly and a few other inmates are loose over there. I don't think they noticed us, but stay here."

Realizing that they were actually in a form of danger, Penelope decided to just go with whatever Jonathan came up with, "What are you going to do Jonathan?"

"They still fear me because of my past. I am going to see if I can talk them out of doing what I think they are doing."

"Which is?"

"Arson, and I believe they have already committed murder on their security guard."

"Just be safe…"

Creeping closer to the other building, Crane was thankful that all of the inmates had their backs turned to him. The flora may be abundant, but it was not large enough to hide behind for the most part and Jonathan was stuck walking towards them with no cover whatsoever.

As he drew a bit closer, Jonathan noticed another Rogue amongst the crowd…Killer Moth was having the tar beaten out of him once again. Reluctant to help him again, Jonathan knew that he had to go through with this or he would lose where he stood with his doctor…she thought he was sane, yet expected him to do something insane…

Whatever the case, Crane was not afraid of this B-list villain and a couple thugs, even when they were armed with a flamethrower (Firefly) and some Molotov cocktails (the thugs). Drury Walker, blood oozing from gashes on his face, was leaning against the building they were about to torch.

Firefly laughed at his unfortunate victim, totally euphoric that he was about to do what he loved best. Crane noted the pyromaniac's obsession with bullying other inmates when possible as he listened to the maniac, "Crow isn't here to protect you this time, Walker. Croc beat the crap out of me for failing to cook you, so I'm going to pay you back for the beating."

Walker tried to stand up, but was kicked in the gut by one of the thugs and fell back down as a result, "Why do you guys keep doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?"

Crane noticed a rusty gardening hoe laying on the ground and smiled. It may not be his preferred scythe, but it would do with subduing them. Firefly continued laughing maniacally, still unaware that he had a threat creeping up on him, "You existed, and that's enough-"

Turning quickly, Firefly jumped away from the person who tapped him on the shoulder. Jonathan laughed at the fearful response, "Seriously, we're back to this again?"

Furious that Crane stood in his way yet again, Firefly growled furiously, "What the hell are you doing here? Don't you have anything better to do than stalk Walker?

Not wishing to put Penelope in harm's way, Jonathan decided to use a half-truth, "Just happened to be in the neighborhood," gesturing at the defeated Rogue who lay bleeding, Jonathan sighed, "Now are you going to let him go, or am I going to have to step in like before?"

One of the thugs scoffed at Jonathan, pointing at the weakling known as Killer Moth as well, "It isn't our fault that this wimp can't stand up for himself, now is it Scarey-Warey?"

Glaring venomously at the man, Jonathan pointed his makeshift weapon at him, "Call me that and I assure you that you will be the one who can't stand up for himself…or stand for that matter…and if things go my way, breathe," turning back to Firefly, he added, "After your little stunt the other day you are lucky to still be breathing without a tube."

Firefly aimed his flamethrower at his superior Rogue, shaking his head at the Scarecrow's overconfidence while forgetting his own, "You put to much faith in yourself Crow! I know you got the drop on me when we fought before, but not this time Crane! I'll show your medium well-done body to your dear doctor!"

"Somehow I doubt that will occur."

"Eat flame you psycho freak!"

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><p>Young crept towards where she saw Jonathan, instantly realizing that he was wielding a garden hoe. While unsure what he was going to use it for initially, when she saw Firefly let loose a burst of flame, she understood perfectly. Jonathan had predicted the flamethrower's usage and easily avoided it's flame (which instead lit the grass on fire), closing the distance between himself and one of the menial thugs as he did so.<p>

The thug he approached and another nearby him both drew out knives and Penelope gasped. Her patient was now fighting a flame wielding maniac and some other patients who had knives! Young didn't want to leave and be seen by them, for they were pretty nearby and they could easily give chase to her and harm her, but she was terrified about what was happening.

"Of all the damn times to be rioting! When I see Kovachs next I'll give him a piece of my mind! Where is the stupid security when you need them? Boles and Cash are absolutely useless!"

Jonathan caught one knife's edge in the wooden shaft of his own weapon, the fierce nature of the strike lodging it deep inside the shaft. Quickly twisting the wooden pole, Jonathan tugged the blade out of it's owner's hands just in time to smash the hand of the other patient with a knife as they lunged at him. Quickly deciding to be as non-lethal as possible, Jonathan used the non-tool edge of the hoe to jab into the unarmed man's stomach. In a follow up movement he kneed the other assailant in the stomach, doubling the man over, and then smashed the hoe down on his head with enough force to break the damaged and aged wood. The man fell from the blunt attack, and the one Crane had jabbed stumbled back into the fire that was now spreading.

Deciding to just torch everything, Firefly pointed his flamethrower again and let his fire loose in a sweeping motion. Jonathan cursed as he had to retreat from the wildly aimed fire, which was in turn setting everything else aflame.

Penelope saw the growing fire and wildly looked for something that could help. Noticing a gardening hose, she checked where it was connected to. Seeing that the building that all the action was nearby was the one that was connected, Penelope hastily ran over to it in hopes of saving her patient from the fire.

Noticing the white lab coat moving across the lawn, Firefly spat out, "What the-, the bitch is here too? Just what exactly were you doing in the botany with-"

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><p>Seizing the slight moment of confusion, Jonathan threw one of the garden hoe's broken halves at the pyro. The shaft crashed into the man's body and gave Crane enough time to throw a kick at the man's head. Still stumbling from being hit by the garden hoe, Firefly didn't dodge the high kick and ungracefully fell backwards. Gathering one of the knives that he knocked onto the ground, Jonathan pointed it at his opponent's chest, "You had best learn your place Firefly. And in case you don't know where that is, it means that you stay the hell out of the top Rogues way. Otherwise you'll be found in a ditch on the side of some road in the Narrows."<p>

Spitting at the victor, Firefly tried to grab his flamethrower, "You don't scare me!"

Slashing across the man's stomach, Jonathan left a decent sized cut that replaced any form of resistance with screams, "Obviously I do, or else you would have fought me one on one you brute," kicking the man in the side, Jonathan noticed that the fire behind him was beginning to be put out by a rapid stream of water, "Now, I expect you to stop this annoying behavior and leave the culling of the weak Rogues to people like the Joker and I. I respect your pyrotechnic abilities, so I am going to let you go, _again_, but you better not cross paths with me again."

Grabbing his profusely bleeding stomach, Firefly screamed in agony, "Okay, okay! I get it!"

Shaking his head in disgust, Crane stood on one leg, bringing the other as far back as he could, "You're a pathetic moron Firefly. The security force is going to be itching to hurt someone after this riot, and you'll be a perfect scapegoat for that anger."

"Bast-"

A brutal kick to the face knocked the man out cold. Turning to face the other Rogue present, Crane shook his head again, "Drury, you had best learn to defend yourself. I am growing tired of helping you out of tough spots."

Now standing, Drury held his head in shame, "I'm sorry, I just can't help it. I know I'm not the strongest here, but everyone seems to take that as an invitation to mock and maim me."

His brow furrowing, Jonathan decided to humor the man slightly, "Are you sure it isn't your motif? Your outfit is kind of fuzzy, not the most intimidating of costumes…"

Not listening at all to Jonathan's advice on being scary in the slightest, Drury whined, "It's my thing though!"

Crane was growing tired of Drury, his weak attempt at tolerating him now fading away, "That is well and good, but your 'thing' is going to get you killed unless you can somehow learn to fend off other inmates."

Drury's head sagged further down, making Crane want to hit him…scaring him would not be any relief as _anything_ could scare this man. The only thing that restrained him was the constant stream of water that was pouring onto the dying fire nearby, reminding him that anything he did would be seen by Penelope.

Thinking about how to make sure that he would not have any further instances with Drury, Crane thought as to how he could solve his problem. A person came to mind, and Jonathan had a light bulb turn on his head, "You know what, I suggest that new guy with the freckles. He killed three of the inmates here earlier today and is being kept from the general populace, but he should rejoin us soon," another thought came to mind as he remembered why the security force was predisposed, "Or rather speak to him after they let him out in about a week, because he is going to be held longer now… he started a riot as they dragged him off if you haven't heard yet…He isn't a villain like all of us so he may be a bit more sympathetic to your plight. If you stay with him you should be safe from all but the most prestigious Rogues."

Drury's head stopped hanging, but his face conveyed his befuddled thoughts, "Wait, you really think so? What if he just kills me like those other three?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Jonathan noticed his doctor walking towards them now that the fire was put out, "Well Drury, the way I see it, your problem will be solved either way."

Drury looked like he was about to cry, eyes tearing up and a comically huge frown appearing on his face. Crane growled in anger, "Don't give me that look," Crane swore mentally when a tear actually came loose, the face remaining the same as the man began to sob, "I said don't-", deciding that Penelope was to close for him to act 'meanly', Jonathan gave in, "fine, I'll watch to see if he'll try to kill you or not," Drury looked at him expectantly, as if to make him continue, "and step in if need be…so long as you don't require me to be your savior anymore I might as well."

Young finally reached the two Rogues and looked around them, seeing the three unconscious inmates strewn about. Looking to Jonathan (ignoring Drury completely), Penelope questioned him, "Is everything over? What happened exactly?"

Pointing a long, bony index finger at his fellow Rogue, Jonathan spoke, "I saved Drury here from being lit on fire with the building by beating Firefly and those two goons into submission. Security should be here soon to get him, something they should have done before. Arkham staff should have heart monitors while they're here. After all, even Penguin uses them on his men, so why shouldn't Arkham keep track of their members that way?"

Still ignoring the other man, Young spoke solely to Crane, "I have to agree with you there…thank you for stopping that incident, but remember not to be overly aggressive," Drury, deciding that he had nothing to do with the conversation and respecting other people's privacy, walked out of earshot and neither of the others noticed, "I don't want someone using it as an excuse against releasing you."

Crane hated having to play model citizen, but he decided to endure through it so long as his goal was accomplished soon, "I agree, but some circumstances, such as this one, require action. I believe just standing by and watching a weaker inmate die and a building burn would be held against me much more than saving him at the cost of the three assaulting inmates' health."

Jonathan internally groaned at the smile that now beamed back at him. Maybe, he decided, he had turned on the model citizen bit on a little to strongly because she responded, "You're better than you give yourself credit. You know that, right?"

Completely caught off-guard by her praise, Jonathan had to swallow before weakly saying, "I merely hate bullies…"

Noticing her patient's distress and awkwardness, Young's large grin turned into a wry smile, "You're not the best at receiving compliments, are you?"

'Damn her,' Jonathan thought, 'this isn't supposed to be happening…'

He hadn't planned for her to be _nice_ to him like this outside of professional courtesy (he had only thought she fed him so that she could complete her 'project' named Jonathan Crane). No one was nice to him…_no one_…not his family, not his schoolmates, not his former coworkers, not the other Rogues (except Harley, who was to ditzy to truly count, and the Riddler who he was allied with), not the people of Gotham, not the people who worked at Arkham…she was going to pay for this too he swore. No one made the sinister Scarecrow become flustered and embarrassed and got to live to tell the tale! Crane swore to repay her in kind for this tenfold…instead of a single dose of her particular fear gas, Crane decided about five would be plenty.

Stammering badly, Jonathan felt like dying on the spot because of this dishonor, "I…I just…"

Picking up on why he may not be comfortable with what she said, Penelope's smile faded and turned into a sad frown, "Jonathan, is it because of your past?"

Jonathan averted his eyes, hoping it would help hide the fact that she had just read into one of his real psychological problems…not something that he willingly gave her, but rather she read him like a children's book. Her frown disappearing, Young shook her head mournfully and spoke reassuringly "Don't worry. That woman and those bullies will never hurt you again, right?" Jonathan nodded slowly, still flustered and unsure where this was going to go. It wasn't like she was going to hug him reassuringly-

Putting an arm around Jonathan, Young grinned up at the man who towered over her, "Besides, I'm here to help you, so you shouldn't feel alone nor is there anything to worry about."

Unsure how to react to this initially, Jonathan stiffened and froze to her touch. Crane suppressed a malicious cackle after a few moments, instead just grinning slightly. Penelope reacted warmly to this, but she had no idea as to why he was smiling.

'No,' he thought, 'there isn't anything for me to worry about…but then again I'm not the one who is about to be seeing hallucinations and screaming for mercy in a few weeks.'

He had won her trust…now he just needed to plan a when and where he would kill her.

"So are we going to help the man with severe burns?"

"I'll send someone to do it. For now we should bring Drury back to his cell and then head to our research. This little incident has cost us a little to much time."

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><p>If you have any thoughtsopinions/ideas/anything really, feel free to leave a review! I am very open to suggestions and ideas, so know that you will be appreciated!


	38. Session 38: Give Up

Sorry for the recent lack of updates. I spent a total of 60 hours doing theater related things last week...AKA, 2.5 full days of work if you were to string them together. This week I have the afternoon free to make up for last week, the same going for next week, but this is counterbalanced by the half dozen labs, essays, tests and projects I have to deal with. I will update whenever I can though! I plan to hit 50 by next Saturday (not this upcoming one), so I'll see how close to that I can reach!

Thanks to Bashlei for the review, and to DarknessinShadows for adding this story and I to their watch lists!

I hope you all enjoy!

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><p>93. Give Up<p>

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><p>There were certain things that completely angered Doctor Penelope Young, and chief among them were those who stood in her way. Be it an idiot who caused a car accident and was slowing her down on her way to work, or a coworker desperately trying to stop her from treating a patient any further, Young hated them both for standing between her and what she was working towards.<p>

This was the latter case.

Exasperated with the stubbornness of his fellow Doctor, Kellerman sighed as he argued with Young, "I insist that you do not try and see this out. He is a danger and menace to society, and he is merely using you to achieve one of his own twisted ends."

Young shot the man a look, otherwise barely holding back her anger at what the man was insinuating, "And what do you mean by 'twisted ends', Doctor Kellerman?"

Kellerman could not stand working with Young at times, but that didn't mean he wished her any ill-will. Keeping this in mind, he continued to try and persuade her of her folly, "What I mean is he may be using you to escape in a perfectly legal manner, only to then humiliate us when he would then-"

Young was not at all pleased with the stubborn fool who kept bringing up this exact topic, and cut him off curtly, "Doctor Kellerman, if my patient wanted to escape he could have easily done so when the Joker did so. He isn't this 'sinister Scarecrow' you paint him to be, nor is he insane," giving off a smug smirk, Penelope added, "I completely believe that if you were to give him some of his old fear formula he wouldn't use it."

Frustrated beyond belief, Kellerman decided to bring up a darker aspect of the topic, "And what of the various guards and orderlies who we find dead every week? We cannot trace what is causing their deaths, but that's his genius! The man may not be insane, but he is evil and I am absolutely sure that he has found some untraceable formula to use on us. Stop deluding yourself Young!"

Like a switch, any willingness that Young had to listen to Stephen Kellerman vacated her and was replaced with even more defiance. Speaking knowingly, Penelope held one hand to her chest, "_I_ am not delusional. He has shown improvement in every regard possible, his only trait that is somewhat lacking being his antisocial tendencies, but those are easily explained by his prior social encou-"

Letting out a gasp of disbelief, Kellerman followed up on it by shouting, "Listen to yourself! You are literally walking right into whatever he has planned. From what I've heard, he can be as manipulative as the Joker! Think of that, as manipulative as a man who can pull everyone's strings, without being one-tenth as crazy! Crane is a major threat, and you just aren't seeing that!"

Leaning against her desk, Young had a deep frown plastered on her face as she responded, "Well then why do we treat these 'Rogues' at all if we have the belief that they cannot be cured? I am behind cutting Joker's sessions, but there are those like Jonathan and Dent who are-"

Kellerman continued to yell in frustration, despite the fact that he was merely feet from the stubborn woman, "That's my point entirely! We should be focusing on the low-risk, not Rogues! The men and women who comprise the Rogues _can't_ be helped! And even if they _could_, they wouldn't _want_ to be helped either. You want to know what happened the last time a doctor tried very hard to help their patient?"

Young gasped, not believing what the man was implying, speaking in a jittery and disbelieving way, "You better not compare me to that idiot Quinzel! Jonathan is my best patient, but I haven't developed an obsessive fixation on him! How dare you even compare me to tha-that strumpet!"

"Well you are showing all the signs that she did before she became known as Harley Quinn, and I don't want to see that be repeated. You contribute to much to this facility to-"

Kellerman would have been wise to have said that from a few steps away, because he didn't have the time to prevent the harsh slap that he received.

A pregnant pause followed the slap, Young taking a step back but still standing with anger emanating from her, "I dare you to say that to me again. Tell me, how am I acting like she did?"

Kellerman rubbed his cheek ruefully, talking venomously, "A, you spend hours some days talking to him. Much longer than your allotted time. B, I've noticed that you've begun bringing in two lunches to work, and unless you have gained an insatiable appetite recently, I would say you are eating meals with him as well. C, you have begun _letting him help you on your research team_. D, you are spouting nonsense about him being sane, just 'not understood' and 'distressed'. I agree that he is sane, but no-one but you misses the fact that he is a twisted human being. That is if I can even call him that, given what he does."

Silence permeated the room once more, Penelope caught off guard with her co-worker's statement. She literally had no way to respond and not prove one of his suspicions or by lying…even if she said she got her patient food for his own health it would come off as being attached to him. Him being on her research team may not make sense from his point of view, but if it didn't make sense to him then Young wouldn't be able to make him see from her perspective.

Speaking slowly and carefully, she responded, "Just because one woman deluded herself into thinking that the _Joker_ was sane does not mean that _I_ am making a mistake in believing that Jonathan should not be here in Arkham."

Kellerman scoffed, "Even if that means letting him loose on the general population, where dozens are sure to die?"

That…wasn't something she had put that much thought into. What _if_ this were all some complicated plan of Jonathan's? Then that would mean she would be placing a murderer back on the streets of Gotham, and putting everyone at risk. Not to mention herself…

Shaking those thoughts away, Penelope looked away from Kellerman and towards the floor in the corner of her office, "If that were to be the case I would not be against having him be sent to Blackgate, but my point is that I have helped him move on and without a doubt I know he would not return to his old life given the chance."

Her fellow doctor hung his head in defeat, seeing that nothing he could do would change her stance or what she was going to do, "What would it take here to prove to you that he is just tricking you? A murder right in front of your eyes? From what I heard happened the other day, Crane fought three other inmates and one was sent to intensive treatment for third degree burns."

Recounting the Firefly incident was easy for Penelope. It was a prime example as to her patient's willingness to change, for he didn't _need_ to stop the other inmates, "He didn't start the fire, and he was protecting another inmate from being lit on fire along with the building they were about to commit arson on. Why does no-one believe that, even with Drury's testimony alongside my own?"

A condescending tone replaced Kellerman's previous tone of defeat, "Maybe because you are seen as too attached to your patient and Drury is easily influenced, given the fact he is the bottom of the totem pole here amongst inmates. A simple threat could make him say anything for or against any other inmate."

"Walker is more honest than that, and you have to be joking about me being too attached. If it will absolve me of any of your suspicions, I will admit that I only started treating Jonathan with the hope that I could get famous for curing a Gotham Rogue. Since he was already sane, I'm just trying to prove it-"

"Do you know why Harley Quinn wanted to treat the Joker? Same exact reason that you just-"

The previous statement infuriated Young, both personally and professionally, "Stop comparing us! She and I are nothing alike! I wouldn't throw my life away for some convicted criminal patient of mine!"

"I'm sure she would have said the same-"

"Shut up and get out of my office! I won't listen to this a moment longer!"

Nodding, Kellerman said one last thing before he turned and hastily left Young's office, "I will leave, but I will reiterate my point. Don't see this through. Nothing good will come from it, and Crane sure as hell doesn't deserve to leave Arkham."

Standing up fully, Young stalked across the room and slammed the door behind Kellerman.

"Paranoid bastard."


	39. Session 39: Trouble Lurking

Two internet shortages, many file corruptions, one failed grade (due to the previous two), two days with a total of 4 hours of sleep, and six days of nothing going right later, I bring you the next chapter!

Special thanks to Bashlei and DarknessinShadow for the reviews!

Now, as a question to all readers, which Gotham Rogue do you wish to see in coming chapters? I have some room to work with given the fact that one of the now corrupt files is the chapters 40-50 file...I could rewrite them and I will, but I would like to do so with a flavor that matches what readers want. So if you have any rogue or Batman villain you would like to see, leave a review and I'll see what I can do!

Hope you all enjoy this short chapter...I am to tired to write anything longer and keep it at least 1% coherant.

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><p>Straightening out his hair, Absonus walked into the section of extreme isolation that kept the man known as Jonathan Crane.<p>

Absonus laughed heartily as he neared the deranged sociopath's cell, "You know, Crane, I never planned on staying here long and I think I've waited long enough to meet with you. Your future sessions will be with me and not with that idiot Young."

Crane had been laying down on his bed, deep in thought thinking of possible improvements to both his formula and Young's Titan project, and was caught a little off guard by the visitor. Wishing to shoo the man away, Jonathan just sighed and responded, "Have you forgotten my previous threat, my esteemed doctor? I do believe that-"

Looking out of the corner of his eye Crane saw Absonus shook his head, his grin too big for Crane's liking. Something was wrong if Absonus wasn't afraid of him, "Consider my sessions with you sanctioned by our benefactor. He believes that some good may come out of them, rather than the pseudo improvement you've been showing Young. No, we will make _true_ improvement."

This was a new turn. Finally facing the other man, Crane growled a little, "Define _improvement_. He wouldn't be the most happy if," motioning as if he was a swooning woman, Crane continued, "I was turned into a peace loving idiot with nothing wrong in his head," he now narrowed his eyes and furrowing his brow, discontinuing the previous motion, "so I believe that your _improvement_ differs from what I have in mind."

Another laugh from Absonus irked Crane further, "You'll see, I can assure you of that Crane," his face turning stern, the doctor continued, "Now, I have arranged it so that instead of meeting with Young at the end of today you will instead be seeing me," annunciating his words strongly, Absonus leaned towards the cell's bars, "Got it?"

Crane was unsure as to how he should respond, but the brief pause given by Absonus was soon replaced by the man continuing in a threatening tone, "If you try anything at all, I can't say for sure if your doctor will breathe much longer…you see, Two-Face is on a rampage looking for his coin and word may just get out that she has it," he said, laughing again in a way that made Jonathan nearly shudder, "Given his recent gain in power, the chances that she'll live long are pretty low, and that is by Arkham standards."

This completely angered the Scarecrow, Jonathan jumping off his bed and jabbing a long, bony finger at Absonus, "If you ruin my plans to humiliate and kill her myself then you'll die too, plain and simple."

Absonus took a step back, his smirk not leaving his face, "Then show up at your session and don't pull anything funny and I'm sure Mr. Dent will just find that he had misplaced it for a little while."

Noticing that on such short notice he couldn't do anything to Absonus without it getting out, Jonathan's lips curled into a frown as he submitted, "You'll have your patient. You're dead though Absonus."

Seemingly fueling his joy, Absonus just went on laughing at Crane, "People have thought me a dead man before and I have proved them wrong time and time again. What makes you any different? Because you dress up and play villain like a daft idiot?"

Jonathan took a step back now, making a tsk tsk motion with his hand, "No, because I know who you are. I may have only taken it for a year, but I have taken Latin you idiot. It took a little while to remember, but you're not fooling me. Especially not with that stupid wig."

Suddenly rattled, Absonus noticeably blanched. Trying to calm himself, Absonus turned away and started to leave, "I do not know of what you are talking about, deranged fool."

Unperturbed, Jonathan continued, "I thought it strange of you to use such a simple moniker, but that's fitting now isn't it? What would cause a doctor to send a replacement, who in reality is just-"

Absonus turned his head and yelled, "Enough! You will meet with me later or so help me I will have you killed by Killer Croc of all things!"

Given his recent defeat of the hulking monstrosity, the Scarecrow became a little egotistical, "Like that buffoon could harm me. He has a collar now, doesn't he? All I would need to do is-"

Turning around fully, Absonus pointed wildly at his new patient, "Just because you beat him while he was malnourished doesn't mean that you could beat him again you idiot! Your toxin has great effect on him I've noticed, but the fact is that in water you would be like fish bait!"

Adopting his normal routine on how to make someone feel insecure, the Scarecrow spoke condescendingly, "Does it make you feel secure to use so many people as deterrents against me? Are you so afraid of this daft idiot?"

Finally leaving, Absonus grumbled, "We'll see who's laughing later."

Once the bald man left, Crane let out a laugh to himself, "What a splendid disposition he has. Nothing strange at all about confronting a patient to tell him you are taking over his treatment, only to end the conversation with threats of harsh cannibalism."

Thinking of how the conversation went, a particular instance elated him further, "Whoever knew Latin would do anything for me? And here I thought it was just a class that the bullies weren't it…hah!"

Losing any traces of his almost jovial behavior, Crane sighed deeply as he sat down on his bed, "I'm going to have a difficult time working around this new problem though…I suppose I will still be seeing Young when she requires my assistance with her project, but I can't exactly have the same joy in crushing her spirits if a research team is right nearby and we're not even going over me or my psychosis…"

"Not like I don't have all the time in the world to complete this project. I'll just push it back until I can deal with this fool."

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><p>AN: In case you didn't see it above, I am curious as to which Rogues people would like to see in coming chapters. So leave a review (even if you don't have a profile you can submit a review) if you have a character you would like to see more of in particular!


	40. Session 40: Distasteful

Okay, sorry I've been slow on the updates, but I have recovered about 60% of the corrupt files and have had to re-record them on a different processor (for some reason it doesn't allow me to copy them into another file that I can use, so I have to manually rewrite them)

Soooo...I've kind of been looking forward to this chapter for awhile. It was the third one I wrote to be honest, although that was only the skeleton. I really wanted to have a kind of light hearted chapter, and this one is like a follow up to chapter 38. I once heard that Shakespeare would write comedic and lighthearted bits so as to make the dramatic and darker bits of his stories seem even more so...hint, hint.

So enjoy Harley Quinn!

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><p>23. Distasteful<p>

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><p>Dr. Young was annoyed by this session block the most out of all of hers put together...while some of the others may be frightful, boring, or simply a waste of time, this one was a little mixture of them all with a whole lot more of annoying.<p>

"So, Mistah J was- "

Young really disliked Harley. Maybe that was an understatement. Young _hated_ Harley. That would be a better word.

"-then he gave B-man the punch line-"

The accent was horrible and quite irking after awhile. And her sense of humor was as out of whack as her 'puddin'…seeing as all she did was talk about the Joker and make jokes, this was a severely bad thing if her speech was excruciating and her jokes sick and twisted.

"-we got away by taking some old lady's car and stepping on the pedal-"

Her obsession was ceaseless it seemed...Harley's fixation on Joker had never faltered at any point in any of their many (one way) conversations. Harley just kept prattling on about the madman and was driving Young to an early grave...Young would suspect that maybe that was intentional if this chatter were not a byproduct of the woman's complex.

"Get it? Hahahah! It was so much fun!-"

Young was considering asking for someone to take Harley from her. It would greatly improve the quality of her week. Less migraines meant she could focus better on her real work.

"Did I ever tell you how Mistah J and I got together?"

Young wanted to say that Harley had told her almost every single session since they started meeting, but instead just let Harley continue on. Why stop her? Anything Young had to say wouldn't matter while Harley was in Joker lalaland.

"-so then he got me a very pretty flower-"

Young cringed inwardly. Harley was a blathering idiot. It was that simple, but at the same time Harley was simply obsessed. If Joker could be removed from her life entirely, Young did suppose that she may begin to act as Harleen Quinzel once again.

"Then, BAM! We were on our way and-"

The part that was hardest for Young to believe was that it was because of Harley that she herself had to go through so much psychiatric testing to work at Arkham. Harley's inappropriate relationship with a patient led to people judging newer female workers with extreme bias, something Young had an extreme distaste for.

Giggling, Harley had a mischievous idea strike her. Trying to be sly, she asked innocently, "So, do you have any interesting patients Doctah?"

How could anyone think that she was going to be as reckless as Harley and throw away her life to go off with a patient? That was just ridiculous! She had worked hard to get where she was, and to throw it away because of some man-

Slightly miffed that she didn't receive a response, Harley rose an eyebrow as she continued speaking, "Helllooooo? Doctah Young? Heelllllooooooo?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Young focused on Harley, "Yes Harley?"

Harley pouted, "You weren't listening to me. I _said_," placing emphasis on the past tense of say, Harley pouted slightly, "do you have any interesting patients?"

Young sighed, giving in to her childish patient, "Define 'interesting', Harley."

Harley giggled, "Well, any patients you have strong feelings for?"

Young gasped in admonishment, not having foresaw what Quinzel was going to say in the slightest, "Quinn! That is inappropriate-"

Harley grew a sly grin, "Well, anyone you want to sle-"

Completely flustered, Young stuttered as she tried to think of a way to end the conversation. This was actually being recorded! All of Quinn's sessions were recorded and looked into just in case she may reveal Joker related plans, "N-no! Why do you think I would see a patient of mine like that?"

"Woman's intuition," she said with a cheeky smile. Once her smile faded, Harley tilted her head and looked up as if she were thinking, "Hmmmm. Who would be good for you?"

Drawing the line on the conversation, Young refused to entertain her patient any more, "Quinn! This is hardly an appropriate conversation-"

Ignoring her doctor's protest, Quinn began talking to herself, "I think Mistah Dent is out of the question. One half may be pretty good lookin', but the other half would scare even Crow."

"Quinn! Stop this inane-"

Still speaking to herself, Quinn continued to ponder a possible 'puddin' for her doctor, "You don't get along with Zsaszy. That's not saying much since no-one really does."

"Quinn, if you don't be quiet I will call the guards-"

"Hmmm. I heard Riddler scares ya…Johnny must be jealous about that. How about Johnny? I hear he is a good patient to ya, and that-"

"Guards!"


	41. Session 41: Magic

I think I made a new longest chapter! Sorry about the long update, but typing with one finger is hard (long story short, glass). This one was kind of hard for me to write besides the 'technical' difficulties, but I won't say why because saying=spoilers. For those Scarecrow fans out there...I'll be honest, he's only in the first part of this...

Jonathan Crane is in the rest.

Thanks to Blacky391, Bashlei, Me-Ladie and DarknessinShadows for the reviews, as well as Homunculus7Sin for the favorite! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and that if you don't you're willing to check out the follow up!

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><p>Magic<p>

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><p>Jonathan growled as Frank Boles tossed him into the office of Doctor 'Absonus'. When Boles tried to pick Crane up and place him in a restraint chair, Crane smashed the guard's knee with his head and spat at him. Angered, Boles kicked Jonathan in the chest harshly before grabbing him by his hair and tossing him into the chair.<p>

Absonus looked across his desk at Jonathan's face, noticing the blood trickling from his cheek, "Please settle down Doctor Crane," gesturing to Boles, who was currently fastening restraints on Crane, he laughed, "Make yourself comfortable. I won't be letting you out of your straightjacket anytime soon, so feel free to shift to whatever position you like."

Trying to retain some vestige of power by enacting his normal routine, "What? Are you scared of what I may do to you without this restraint?"

This just caused the bald doctor to laugh even more, taking off his wig as he slowly calmed down, "Why of course not. I have security guards outside, Boles right here, and all the blackmail I need to keep you in line," taking a moment, he added, "Not that I'll need any of those shortly."

Confused what this was all about, Crane spoke in an aggravated tone, "What the hell is all this about Strange? I have better things to be doing than talking to the likes of you, things like wasting away and dieing both take precedence over this meeting."

Standing up from his desk, Strange slowly walked over to his new patient, "Jonathan, you should learn to accept my goodwill when and where I offer it," when he reached him, Absonus brutally slapped Jonathan across the face, "You are going to be playing by _MY _rules now, so you best not _anger_ me!"

Even more blood dribbling down his cheek now, Jonathan spat more out as he chuckled dryly, "Easy to get under your skin I see. Does this has to do with your feelings of inferiority? Your fear that your aspirations and dreams are unattainable? It's natural to find an outlet-"

Intensely glaring at Jonathan through his shades, Strange bellowed, "Enough Crane! We're not playing your games now, it's my realm!" Taking a breath to regain composure, Strange took something small out of his lab coat's pocket, holding it in front of Jonathan, "Do you know what this is?"

Noticing what it was, Jonathan's eyes grew wide, betraying the neutral look on his face. He was panicking, and Strange could sense it, "Oh you bastard, you wouldn't dare-"

Strange went back to chuckling, "I can and I will. I spoke to our benefactor Ras and he doesn't care what I do with you as long as it doesn't get in the way of our plans, that it doesn't impede your effectiveness," lip shifting into a smirk, he continued smugly, "When I told him that I could return the sinister Scarecrow to his former glory, he gladly agreed to what I'm doing right now."

Retrained, Crane still managed to thrash around wildly, "I will _kill_ you when I get out of here!"

Waving his finger in a scholarly fashion, Strange's countenance became neutral once more, "No, I don't think you will Jonathan," hanging the pendulum in front of Jonathan's face, Strange went back to laughing as the struggling increased and Jonathan shut his eyes, "You see, I'm not going to let you."

Boles grabbed Crane's face, turning it fully towards the doctor but Jonathan forced it away, "No, get off of me! I won't fall for your pathetic magic!" Boles grunted as he used one hand to force Jonathan to face the pendulum while the other tried to force one of the eyes open, "Let go of me!"

Cackling madly, Strange opened the other eye with his open hand, "I'll do what I please Crane. You belong to me now. Now, let's begin the hypnosis."

* * *

><p>Things had been going smoothly with Titan today, but Young wanted a second opinion on some changes to the formula she had made. Of course the experiments were above her colleagues heads <em>and<em> pay scale, so it was only her patient who she could confer with.

Walking into the extreme isolation area, Young called out to her patient, "Hey Jonathan, would you like to join me today on the Titan project?" She felt kind of odd by asking such a question…asking as though he may have something better or something else to actually be doing. As she approached his cell she was met with no response, although she could hear _something_ coming from his cell, "Jonathan?"

Taking a glance into Jonathan's containment cell caused Penelope to gasp, "Oh my god, what's wrong? What happened to you?"

Laying on his cell floor, Jonathan lay bleeding in the fetal position. The blood was emanating from gashes in his straightjacket, from his mouth, and his nose. Fumbling with her key, Young opened his cell hurriedly and dashed over to him before kneeling down next to him. She was surprised to see that he wasn't only harmed, but also in some sort of trance, like he wasn't fully there mentally, "They're all bullies…they're all big, bad meanies…"

Trying to help him up, Young had her hands pushed away. This didn't discourage her though and she kept trying to help get him up, "Who are you talking about Jonathan? The Rogues? Who hurt you?"

Completely delirious, Jonathan kept muttering to himself as if his doctor wasn't even there, "Why won't they just leave me alone? No-one ever leaves me alone…ol' Johnny the Scarecrow…"

Young managed to coax him out of his curled up position, but he still lay on the floor in an almost catatonic state, "Come on Jonathan, I'm going to get you out of this cell. You need help and I know of a few doctors who will fix you up and help you."

His mutterings stopped briefly and Penelope was able to get him to stand up slowly, "Up you go. I'm here to help you."

The word she used felt foreign to him, a word that made him want to cringe, "No one wants to help me…you only see me to get famous…you're just as bad as the others who used me for their personal pleasure and gain…"

Young almost gasped. He…knew about what she had been doing. In hindsight, she wasn't very surprised given who he was and his psychological aptitude. Still, it hurt her to here it from his own mouth, it hurting not because of any slander but because it had been true. But like her patient had been changing for the best, so had she. She didn't want him to get better for her own gain at this point, and that was what mattered in her mind.

Placing one of his gangly arms around his shoulder, she helped him remain standing despite his condition. She could see bruises on his face and dried blood on his face, all of which upset her, "No Jonathan, I'm not like them. You're safe with me, okay?"

He was silent after that, whether he believed her or not unknown to Young. She didn't even know if he could fully understand what she was saying to him. She led him out of his cell and towards intensive treatment.

On their way they passed by some orderlies and patients, all of whom seemed surprised by her patient's status, some downright shocked. Once again Crane began to speak, but it seemed to be to himself rather than to anyone in particular, "No-one's innocent…every last person is responsible…they don't want to own up to it, but they are…"

Cooing reassuringly, Penelope looked up at him, mentally cursing the half foot difference in their stature, "Shhh, it's okay Jonathan. I'm bringing you to the intensive ward, and when you're done there you can rest in my office. Would you like that? Would you be okay?"

His face slightly changed, not enough for anyone to notice from a distance, but the displeasure he showed was not lost by Penelope, "Doesn't matter where I am, they can still find me. I won't be alright no matter where I am…"

The two slowly approaching the medical facility, Young responded resolutely, "I won't let them hurt you again, whoever they are. Okay? This isn't right."

Again, she received no response. Jonathan just kept staring off in front of them, his face contorting as if he were seeing grisly phantoms. Young decided not to pressure him into anymore conversation because something was definitely wrong with him at the moment and she didn't want him to feel threatened by her.

When they entered the treatment center, many of the orderlies looked at her with confused expressions. What was _he_ doing here was what they all were thinking, half of them having had run ins with him as his alter ego and the other half having witnessed the horrors he inflicted upon others. He may be a patient, but the way he slowly had victims die while hallucinating their worst nightmares made him more feared than the Joker when it came to the medical aspects of things. At least the clown's victims didn't spend hours writhing in terror, with almost any efforts to save them being hopeless.

So when Young saw their faces contort in horror like her patient's face was in pain and fear, she yelled angrily, "He needs your help, so someone do your damn job and help him!"

The orderlies and doctors scrambled, all jumping to find some way to help out.

* * *

><p>Once he was settled and being treated fully, something Young assured by terrifying the workers with subtle threats to their jobs, she decided that she needed to talk to someone about this, "I'll be right back, okay Jonathan?"<p>

Fully catatonic, he had no response. His expression was blank and he said nothing, causing Young to sigh. Squeezing her patient's palm, she left him quickly to find a certain doctor.

Dashing into her fellow doctor's room, Kellerman was surprised by the appearance of Young and was more surprised when she stopped on a dime to yell, "What the hell happened to him? Who's been to extreme isolation today? Patients AND Doctors!"

Trying to find out what she was rambling about, Kellerman held his hands up in a peaceful gesture as he sat in his desk chair, "Sorry Dr. Young, but what are you-"

Young slammed her hands down on his desk, causing the seated man to jump back startled, "But what? Who the hell saw him? You know what I'm talking about!"

Grasping what she was speaking of, Kellerman sighed and looked down, "I saw Boles and some guards drag him into Dr. Absonus' office earlier, but I don't know what they were doing nor did I want to get involved."

Growling, Young stared at the man's hair because he refused to look her straight in the eye, "And you didn't think to inform me? He was _bleeding_ and laying in a puddle of his own goddamn blood when I found him! Tell me, what would have happened if I hadn't stopped by his cell?" Kellerman kept silent, the result of which being Young's wrath, "Exactly! He almost died! And that isn't all of it! Oh, no it isn't. What could that bastard Absonus have done to poor Jonathan? He's suffering from a severe breakdown."

Realizing the danger of having a top tier rogue have a mental breakdown, Kellerman sat up completely straight and his eyes widened, "Wait, what? What's happened to Crane?"

Young began to slightly fizzle, but anger still emanated from her, "I have no clue, but all Jonathan is doing now is cry to himself and moan about bullies, _while bleeding severely_," annunciating the last part slowly and deliberately.

In an attempt to defuse his ticking time bomb of a colleague, Kellerman spoke calmly, "I get it Young. I am sorry I did not inform you of what I saw and I admit to that being a possible life altering error, but how was I to know that he was to be manhandled like that? And besides, how do you even know it was Absonus's doing?"

Young opened her mouth to yell a reply, but her voice fell short. She didn't actually have any proof. Yet, that was.

Driving that point home, Kellerman questioned the validity of her hatred and looked up finally, "Well do you have any proof that it was Absonus who caused this? Crane is a severe case, so it may be coincidental, as in an assault from a fellow inmate, or even a sham-"

Taking a deep breath, Penelope decided that she couldn't help Jonathan if she just stormed everywhere angrily. Instead she now spoke neutrally, "Kellerman, Jonathan is prideful. He wouldn't break down crying in front of anyone if he wasn't suffering severely."

Kellerman may dislike Crane, but this could not stand if it was an act instigated by a doctor and decided to allow that train of thought, "Well what do you suggest we do? Absonus is in Strange's position and that means the only person who can truly confront him is the Warden, who we both know won't take issue with one of his severe patients breaking down to the point that he can't do anything."

Penelope couldn't bear the frustration she felt. She knew that the upstart named Absonus had caused this, she knew it, "But there has to be _something_ we can do, right?"

"Young, I hate to say this, but we're going to have to wait this one out I think. See what happens and try to learn more. My apologies."

"I just want to help him…Jonathan has more of a reason to be in here than any of the other patients, and I actually kind of pity him and what he's gone through," knowing that Kellerman may speak up against any sentiment placed in Jonathan, Young added, "And before you say anything, no, I'm not personally invested in him. I just want to see my patient finally get the treatment he needs."

"This will severely cripple your efforts at letting him out, won't it?"

A glint appeared in Young's eye, although Kellerman could only guess that it was of anger, "Once Jonathan has returned to normal you can fully expect me to pursue that again, but I don't think that he's at all capable of functioning on his own at the moment."

"Fine, but we have to be sure first that he _will_ recover from this breakdown. You need to keep a close eye on him and if he becomes a threat, make sure you call security."

It was Young's turn to look down, sorrow flooding her mind as she thought about Jonathan's condition again, "I will, but I'm not sure Jonathan could pose a threat to me or anyone else like this, even if he wanted to."

Pulling a drawer open, Kellerman sighed, "Better safe than sorry," withdrawing a taser, he lifted it up and held it towards her to be received, "Keep this with you. I noticed that you're one of the only doctors who carries nothing for self defense, so take it."

Recognizing the device that had left Jonathan's face marred with small scars, Young couldn't help but stifle a laugh, "A taser? Are you kidding me?"

Not understanding the incredulous he was receiving, Kellerman continued, "It's useful, and it can save your life in a pinch. So go check on your patient before he decides the best way to deal with Strange is to fear gas him."

"Jonathan would never do that even if we handed him the gas ourselves. He's really gotten better Kellerman."

"So much better that you've trusted him to be left alone in your office in the past."

"Oh shut up, he's not a threat and he isn't the intricate schemer you make him out to be."

"Whatever you say, Penelope. I'm going to go attend to my own duties now. Maybe Bartholomew may be able to help you out more. He's sympathetic to all patients here, so he's your best bet if you're looking for an assistant for dealing with this issue," as an afterthought he added, "Be careful."

* * *

><p>Having been moved into her office as per her request, a heavily bandaged Jonathan lay on the transportable bed he had been brought in on. In Arkham mansion Young believed no-one could touch him, not without a thousand cameras catching it this time. Jonathan was also without his straightjacket, for it was taken off so they could treat them. It may sound creepy or odd, but Penelope was glad to see that her near translucent had gained weight. He was way to skinny, but her meals with him were bringing him to a not pencil thin state. He still looked like Ichabod Crane (she noted the irony in that statement), but that was an improvement (sadly)…after entering her office, she pulled a chair over to him and sat down, shaking away thoughts of the bare-chested man.<p>

Not sure if he was awake due to his closed eyes, Penelope spoke gently, "How are you holding up Jonathan? Are you feeling any better?"

Revealing that he was in fact conscious, Jonathan spoke in a monotone voice without opening his eyes, "Of course not. All that has changed is the time and my location. Why would I feel better? I am trapped on an island of bullies who all want to hurt me, with everyone either scaring me or being scared of me."

Thinking of the prospect of being scared of Jonathan made Young think. Was she actually scared of her patient? He had done some bad things, and his improvement was no assurance that he was cured. But this vulnerable, crushed man? And was he scared of her? Very unlikely. All she had really done was help him, even if a lot of it had been self-serving initially.

"I'm not afraid of you, and I don't think that I scare you. Do I?"

Possibly caught off guard by her question, Jonathan was silent before he stammered out, his head turning away from her, "N-n-no…"

Following up, Penelope beamed, "But I _am _here to help you, you know that right?"

"No…you're self serving, two-faced. You act nice to me and then take notes about how much my progress is contributing to your fame. You don't want to help me except to help yourself."

Young felt there was no point in arguing against the truth, guessing that she must have left the wrong notes out one day and that he had seen them. Instead she decided to continue being there for her patient…she had a feeling no one had for him in the past, "Is there anything I can do to help you right now Jonathan? Anyone you want to see? Anything you need?"

"No-one to see…no-one likes me."

Trying to think of people she had seen him hang around, Penelope bit her lip. Who did he hang out with? Having mainly focused on him and his problems, his past, she hadn't really learned much about his present…

Trying to respond to him, but still not sure who to mention, she spoke, "No-one? What about the Rogues you usually are around?" Finally, she decided to mention the three Rogues he hadn't spoken too badly about, "Uh, the Riddler? Two-Face? Quinn?" To make it a nice, even number she added the pathetic man he saved, "Drury?"

This did not go over well with her patient. He spoke coldly, although the venom wasn't posed towards his doctor, "Riddler and Two-Face only respect the Scarecrow, not Jonathan Crane. If they saw me like this I would receive no sympathy. Quinn is unbearable, albeit friendly. She causes depression to turn into suicidal tendencies. Drury can't handle himself, not even with inkblot looking after him."

Young blinked in confusion. Inkblot? There was no inmate that went by the name Inkblot. Thinking of the white and black masked vigilante that they had acquired a little while ago, the puzzle pieces fit together, "Oh, you mean Walter? That's why Drury's been out of trouble then…Jonathan?"

Dead asleep, Jonathan's chest slowly rose and fell. His arm even fell and hung off his bed lazily, something that Young remedied by placing it back next to him. Good, Young thought, he could use the rest.

It was a perfectly good Friday, and Young decided that since she wasn't going to be spending it with her father or anyone else for that matter, why not dedicate it to looking after Jonathan? She didn't even have a pet at home that would miss her.

"Rest as long as you like. It's not like I'm not going anywhere tonight."

Before she pulled out some work to go through, she had a nagging thought run through her mind.

Harley Quinn and Kellerman would _kill_ to see her attending Crane and watching out for him caringly. But what's wrong with taking care of a patient in the end? He needed someone right now, and apparently she was all he had.

She didn't want to leave the room unnecessarily in case he needed something, but Penelope swore to give Absonus a piece of her mind when she ran into him.

* * *

><p>AN: This is to be continued in the next chapter! Note, Crane wasn't _that_ bloody when Boles overpowered him early in the chapter. There is a bit of time in-between then and when he gets found, so that will be touched upon! Expect update soon, but know that it will be held back by certain circumstances (last time I pick a bag up by the side without knowing what's in it!).

The person who gets my ongoing reference in this chapter will get a chapter dedicated to them!


	42. Session 42: It's The Fear

Here you guys go, another kind of long chapter. My hands are better now so I can write again without causing them to bleed, so I'll be able to actually update now! So this one is a direct follow up to the last chapter, taking place the day after.

Special thanks to Quelara and DarknessinShadows for the reviews!

* * *

><p>While not as renowned as Arkham, Blackgate prison was as crucial to Gotham city as the revered psychological facility. Blackgate was where the majority of the criminals went, Arkham being the exception when the criminal in question was insane, or people were bribed for them to be seen as such.<p>

Blackgate prison had been having issues with overcrowding as of recent, given the Batman's crackdown on crime, so the more unstable prisoners had been transported to Arkham. They had not been around long, and the administrators had not found a permanent home made for many of them yet. The exceptions to this were some high-priority members such as mob bosses and Catwoman, all of whom found themselves placed in private cells while the normal rabble of criminals found themselves in group cells. Absonus and his lackeys passed by a few of these men locked behind rickety bars as they dragged Jonathan through the asylum towards his extreme isolation housing.

One of the inmates from Blackgate began to laugh uncontrollably as the three men went by, "Boles bust you up Crane? Serves you right!"

Jonathan struggled against his handler's hold, speaking in the guttural tone he used for his Scarecrow persona on occasion, "I'll show you what's right when I get out of this jacket!"

Boles slammed Jonathan face first into one of the dilapidated walls and tossed him to his knees, "Stop struggling you animal!" to emphasize this statement Boles kicked Jonathan in the gut, sending him onto the ground and on his back. Before Jonathan could rise, Boles grabbed him by the collar and tugged him upright, "Understand?"

Jonathan felt helpless during the beating, his mind reeling in terror. As soon as it ended though, he returned to normal. The former psychologist decided to ignore the feelings of fear that he knew all to well, but were somehow overpowering him. Jonathan licked the blood dribbling out of his mouth, looking straight at the floor and speaking indignantly, "Are you enjoying this debasement, bully?"

The security officer was about to strike Crane again when Absonus grabbed his arm and halted him, "Enough Boles," looking down at Jonathan, he spoke in a demeaning tone, "Doctor Crane, would you like to fight these insolent men in this here cell?" A simple nod from the injured man was enough for the bald doctor, "Boles! Let Crane go, and let those men free for the moment. That way we can watch my masterpiece at work!"

Boles grinned; he was unsure as to what Crane would do but pleased at the prospect of the gawky man getting crushed by the thugs, "As you say Doctor Absonus."

The corrupt security guard walked towards the locked up men and pulled out his key. Released from their steel gate, the men scrambled out towards Crane, ignoring Boles and Absonus almost as if they had been programmed to do so, "Get him!"

Still bound by his straightjacket, Jonathan decided he had best use his very own violent dancing style of fighting as the criminals barreled towards him. As it mainly used kicking motions, he shouldn't be fully impeded by the restraint.

Instead, as soon as the fist one drew his fist back, Jonathan was met with a splitting pain in his head and an explosion of thoughts that entailed it. His mind went elsewhere, but the criminals were ready to rip into him like a pack of wolves would a piece of meat.

* * *

><p>A dodged swing from his grandmother, met with a shrieking voice.<p>

"You sinful bastard! Take your beating like the man you aren't! Stop struggling you Satan spawn!"

* * *

><p>Instantly Jonathan cringed, expecting his grandmother to strike him for disobeying her, "Nooo…please, stop it!"<p>

He was met with a fist to the cheek by a burly inmate instead. One of the others laughed, feeling that for once they had the upper hand against the Scarecrow, "Not so tough now, are we Ichabod?"

* * *

><p>His day-to-day humiliation at school, an entire hallway pointing and laughing at their pariah.<p>

"Hey, look, it's Ichabod Crane! Someone show gangly here his place!"

* * *

><p>A kick to the stomach sent Jonathan reeling, the previous punches having only caused him to stagger back. On the ground he began to cry, feeling powerless as visions flooded his mind and limbs smashed into his body, "I can't take anymore!"<p>

* * *

><p>An incident with a trashcan and a large hill, mixed with a car smashing the related trashcan.<p>

"Look at the doofus! He can barely walk straight after what we did! Serves the four eyed freak right."

* * *

><p>The inmates didn't feel complacent when Crane began to cry, but rather it was like blood in the water. Jonathan wept loudly as they continued to pound away on him with increasing vigor, "Stay away from me!"<p>

One of the prisoners was confused by Jonathan's weeping, for having been put under his fear gas before the inmate knew how terrifying the lanky man could be, "Uhhh, what's going on?"

Absonus waved a hand and for a brief moment the mob turned to him, the doctor speaking in a scholarly tone, "Just a side effect of my session with Crane. Go ahead, show him what it truly means to be fearful."

The thug that threw the first punch grinned, "And he can't even fight back! Thanks Doc!"

Absonus too grew a large grin on his face, "My pleasure. Hopefully this will teach Crane his place."

Jonathan curled up into a fetal position, trying to protect himself from the many men assaulting him, as well as from the phantoms his mind was perceiving, "Noo, I haven't done anything, let me go-"

Another brutal kick, this time to the spine, "Correction, my buddy has third degree burns because of you asshole!"

Absonus waved a hand at the scene before him, "This, Mr. Boles, is exactly why Crane will not be a threat to me now. Given that he has not heard our codeword, he will not return to his Scarecrow persona and instead will be filled with dread whenever faced with a bullying figure. He will be pathetic Jonathan Crane when it suits me, and he will be my collegue the Scarecrow when needed."

Boles chuckled, "That's sick doctor, but I can't say I mind."

A kick to the head that sends him into oblivion, "Nothing to fear but us Crane!"

* * *

><p>Gasping loudly, Jonathan twisted in his bed and screamed as he broke out from the dream of his recent disgrace, "Make it stop!"<p>

Quick to his side was his doctor, who had been keeping watch on him the entire day thus far, "Jonathan, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Realizing where he was, as well as the fact that he was not in imminent danger, Jonathan took in a deep breath in an attempt to relax, "Just…just a dream. I'm fine…"

Penelope nodded, not convinced but also not wanting to push him in his given state, "As long as you're feeling better. How are you feeling otherwise?"

Jonathan gave her a blank stare in return. How was he feeling? Like he had just been beat up by brutes and humiliated in front of the man he had threatened to kill was how he felt. Still, Jonathan could not shake the fact that he had been removed from that environment, that savagery, and it was this doctor before him who was taking care of him. She helped him get treatment for his wounds, she allowed him to stay in her office rather than leave him alone in his cell, and she had stayed by his side…that actually gave him some feelings other than fear and hatred, but he did not recognize them. He wondered if it was it a sense of gratefulness that had been born within him, "I'm fine Doctor. Please leave me be…I have something to think about."

She nodded, stepping away from him and heading back to her work, "Of course. Take all the time you need."

Left to his own thoughts, Jonathan recalled what Strange had done to him now. To be ever fearful, except if a certain word was said, was to be his constraint from harming Strange. The part that irked Jonathan the most was that he had no recollection as to what the word was, Strange having used both hypnosis and drugs to alter him.

But what were the limitations on the instilled fear? Did he have to have a physical threat? Or did he only have to perceive someone bullying him? What the hell had Strange done in actuality? And for it to have caused horrific visions in his own sleep…he couldn't even rest easily now, lest he be trapped by nightmares of past bullying events. Jonathan cursed the previous dream, for that event had entailed many other snippits of his past. Not only did he live through them originally, but they were relived when the thugs _had_ assaulted him, and once more in his sleep. Thrice was he damned to be tormented by those bullies…

Bringing to mind a case of bullying that he would forever remember, Jonathan decided to see what exactly could set off this paralyzing fear.

* * *

><p>Before him sat many college students, some of whom would be prospective psychologists. The thought that he could teach those barely younger than him how to control the mind, and in turn allow them to overcome their fears, delighted him, "Hello, my name is Doctor Crane and I will be teaching you psychology in the coming months."<p>

Before he could continue, the hand of a front row student shot up, "You look funny. Why are you so pale, Professor?"

Quickly following their classmate, another hand shot up and a jock spoke up, "Yeah, and why do you look as girly as the cheerleader captain? You would make a pretty convincing drag queen I bet!"

Caught off guard, but used to ridicule, Jonathan tried to regain control, "That's enough of that-"

"My brother went to school with you and told me that you're a freak!"

* * *

><p>Blanking his mind, Jonathan found that he could not move. His body was quaking in fear, and Jonathan cursed the situation he now found himself in. He felt helpless, vulnerable, the same as he was years ago when the whims of others dictated his health. Unable to move and with a blank mind, Jonathan closed his eyes to relax.<p>

* * *

><p>A gunshot ends the beating being thrown upon Jonathan, everyone in the room turning to the scarred man holding a smoking gun above his head.<p>

One of the thugs tilted their head in confusion, "_Two-Face_ is loose? What the hell are these guards paid for?"

"We suggest that you let our fellow Rogue go…_now_."

The thug that first struck Jonathan growled, "Forget it! This skinny wimp is finally getting what he deserves-"

A gunshot and a body hitting the ground later, Dent's natural voice yelled out to everyone, "Anyone else? _Back off_."

Strange looked to his guard for protection, "Boles, contain him!"

Speaking in the voice of big bad Harv, Two-Face pointed his .22 at the Doctor and his accomplice, "I think I speak for both of us when I suggest you walk away now. We wouldn't be of two minds in shooting you both dead, scum."

Jonathan spat out more blood as Boles backed off, "Screw this, I'm out."

Now left in a room of criminals without any protection, Strange panicked, "You idiot! Come back here!"

Two-Face ignored the living thugs scurrying away and spoke to the man in the wig, "You better leave too Doctor, before we find out what you've done to our colleague."

Strange left the room in haste, intent on preventing this incident from going any further south, "You'll regret this Mr. Dent."

"As if we care," walking over to Crane, Harvey picked up his fellow Rogue from the hard floor and helped him stand upright, "Don't worry, the coin came up good side up. We'll bring you back to your cell safe and sound."

But with the Scarecrow's mind anywhere but the room they were in, Two-Face may have been just as good talking to a wall, "Bullies preying on bullies…"

Deciding that whatever happened to the man had broken him in some way, Two-Face flipped the coin again and spoke after seeing the good side come up, "You've got that right 'Crow. We're glad we didn't grow up together, because we were a bit of a jock and bully back in the day. You wouldn't have liked that one bit, especially since you would've been a prime target for teasing," if the man _was_ broken, then it would be decent to at least humor his delusions.

"Not 'Crow…Jonathan…"

Two-Face was unsure as to how to react to this event in total. If the Scarecrow was seen as beat, as weak, then he was as good as dead in this madhouse. And while Harvey didn't need weak allies, Jonathan was an old friend from before his Two-Face life and he did not like seeing him like this, "What did they do to you anyways? You aren't looking all that good, friend."

"Bullies, every last one of them…"

Tales of Jonathan and his doctor hadn't escaped Two-Face's ears, how some of the lesser criminals whispering that she had maybe changed him, de-clawed him, but Harvey would not let his friend go without help, "Hey, if we run into your doctor we're going to get you checked out, okay? They drug you or something? You don't seem to be all there Jonathan."

When he was met with silence, Two-Face decided that he best bring his ally back to extreme isolation where few could touch him, then force an orderly to get help.

* * *

><p>Roused from his slumber by someone knocking on the door, Jonathan groggily looked up to see an orderly standing meekly in the partially open doorway. Crane shook his head slightly when he realized that he had drifted off, and thus dreamt again, but was partially glad that he had not been dreaming of the worst parts again.<p>

The orderly stood in the doorway awkwardly, as if he didn't want to be there and had drawn the short straw, "Doctor Young, you have a session right now-"

Deadpan, Young replied, "Then cancel it. I'm not going to waste my time on a patient who doesn't need the help while I have one here who does need my help."

"But what about your monthly meeting with the warden after it-"

Not recalling what he was referring to, Young questioned him, "Meeting? I…"

"Warden Sharp says that you have a meeting, don't you remember?"

Not actually recalling anything of the sort, Penelope groaned, "Fine," looking at her patient, she changed her tone to a more Jonathan? I have to go to a meeting in an hour. Do you think you'll be fine without me? I could have Bartholomew look after you."

Jonathan avoided her gaze, an emotion far from foreign to him having risen in his chest. He felt _fear_ at the thought of being without her, for she had been the one to protect him and was the one keeping people from bullying him more, "Fine…don't want to be a burden to you…"

The orderly piped up again, "Doctor Young, you also have some Titan project observations to do today as well."

Young massaged her temple in aggravation. Normally she would just bring Crane with her, but she remembered that a major change in the formula was going to be documented today and she could not be distracted by him, "Well reschedule them to later today so that after my meeting I can be here for awhile, understand?"

Nervously the orderly replied, "Uh, yes ma'am."

As the orderly left the room, Jonathan shivered as he pondered about what may happen to him in an hour.

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><p>Question for you all: Do you think I should use Boles more, less, or about the same as I have been in this story? I am interested to see what people think about this particular subject.<p> 


	43. Session 43: Sharp Repercussions

Thanks to Quelara for the review! This is part three in a four part series of chapters, with 44 being the end. I hope you all enjoy!

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><p>Standing up from her desk, Penelope sighed before turning to her patient, "Okay Jonathan, I'm going to my meeting now. I'll be as fast as I can."<p>

Doctor Bartholomew, having arrived to look at Crane minutes before, whispered to his coworker, "Are you sure he won't-"

Young jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, "Oh quit being such a baby. He isn't a threat to anyone right now, nor would he be normally."

Realizing who he was speaking with, he decided to not even argue and just throw in the towel, "Alright then."

Young left quickly, hoping to get to the one on one meeting early so that she could finish early.

* * *

><p>Without his doctor, Jonathan felt uncomfortable. She had been taking care of him since the incident, so he felt anxious now that she was gone. Would he have to face Strange again? No, that demonstration was just to show that he was not to be crossed…still, Jonathan was curious as to what happened exactly during the 'session'. He felt different now…his anger, his hatred, and his drive to instill fear in others was gradually waning and he wasn't sure if he was happy or not with that. These feelings were mostly replaced with different kinds of fear. Jonathan felt…like Jonathan. Not the sinister Scarecrow. The last time he didn't harbor dark thoughts and hatred was so long ago that he couldn't remember.<p>

So now what? Why would Strange have reverted him back to how he had been? What sense would that make?

Jonathan's eyes widened when he realized why his 'treatment' was doing all of this. As Jonathan Crane the man, he was no threat to Strange. He would cower to any threat because he had no real way to fight them on his own, and he also wouldn't feel a drive to go after Strange without his obsessive mindset. By having the Scarecrow be removed from his everyday being, Jonathan was neutralized as an enemy. But Strange hadn't removed his alter ego entirely…no, if Strange had reverted Jonathan back to how he had been, then the Scarecrow was still in him. It was there just as it always had been. Strange mentioned a word to unleash it though, but it remained unknown to Jonathan.

As Jonathan Crane, did he even want to go back to that?

Before he could contemplate his situation more, Bartholomew spoke up in a calm, nice manner "So, is there anything you need Dr. Crane? Water? Food?"

Surprised by the man's hospitality, Jonathan stuttered a little, "N-no thank you…"

Bartholomew smiled from across the room, currently situated at Young's desk, "Well if you need anything just let me know, alright?"

This was irking Crane. A doctor not looking at him condescendingly or fearfully? After what he usually did to them, that was just…wrong to him, "Why are yo-you doing this? Pity? For recognition?"

The practicing doctor chuckled, thinking that the pale man must be joking, "No, not at all. I am here to help those in need, just as many of our other doctors are."

Jonathan kept himself from raising an eyebrow. The man almost seemed, well, serious, "But why me? I-I'm a super criminal, a terrorist in some minds…why do you help people like me who deserve to just wither and die?"

Bartholomew continued to give off a grin full of mirth, cementing Jonathan's underlying belief that the man should be committed to this very asylum, "Because I believe that anyone can get better if they truly want to, and you've been a stellar example of that so far. The Joker and others like Two-Face don't feel a need to get better, but you've been on awfully good behavior and have actually been a positive influence in this asylum as of lately. I would still offer my aid to the others, but you've actually earned it."

Intent on crashing this man's bubble, Jonathan brought up the conversation Bartholomew had with Young, "But aren't you scared of me? I heard you talking with Young and you were worried to be left with me."

The doctor just shrugged nonchalantly, "I would be a little worried to be left with any inmate here with no restraints whatsoever to keep them from harming me. I usually keep orderlies around to protect me against even inmates with straightjackets," chuckling again, he supplemented this with, "If I am to be honest, I am a bit of a coward, so please do not take it personally."

Thinking to himself, Jonathan relayed his shock, 'This is just…awkward. There truly are decent people here…never thought I would ever think that ever…two doctors who actually are attempting to care for me, and to think I was planning on killing every last one of them originally…'

Jonathan took a moment to reply, for it took a moment for him to stop conversing in his head, "In that case, I suppose I can't be angry with you. I won't harm you, nor could I if I wanted to."

Doctor Bartholomew stroked his hairless chin, "Yes, Doctor Young made it apparent that you were no threat. Why is that exactly?"

Thinking of how to put it into words, Jonathan replied, "I…I was given a form of treatment by Doctor Absonus that prevents me from being aggressive…I have been feeling the effects gradually escalate since yesterday. A side effect of this treatment is that I freeze up when put into certain situations, so if I were to stir up trouble and someone were to confront me, I wouldn't be able to react."

The doctor seemed to be genuinely surprised by this, but he did his best to hold in this shock, "That is an, um, interesting solution to violence, but I cannot understand why he would use it on you. You haven't caused any trouble recently and we have much more volatile patients in our care, such as poor Mr. Dent. He has been in solitary since security found him lurking on the grounds, an inmate dead from his pistol. Boles said that he attempted to stop the man, but that Dent held other inmates hostage and forced Boles to leave. Such a sad story, that Mr. Dent."

Realizing that Boles had altered the story and the events, Jonathan found that he could not open his mouth to say that to Bartholomew.

'What the hell? Why can't I…' feeling a sense of fear creep up his spine the more he attempted to speak, Jonathan apprehended why he couldn't speak, 'Another case of freezing up…if I rat on Boles to someone who doesn't know of what's going on, then I would be opening myself up to the adage snitches get stitches…I remember what this was like back when I was younger and I couldn't bring myself to rat on my bullies.'

Instead of pointing out Boles' blatant lies, Jonathan spoke of Harvey so as to not be silent any longer, "I remember when he was DA. Things were simpler back then."

Bartholomew shrugged his shoulders again before laughing, "I suppose they were. There is an awful lot more Rogues running around now than there was when Harvey was only called 'Two-Face' as an insult by the Major Crimes Unit."

This was news to Jonathan, "That's where the name came from?"

"Yeah, I hear that-"

* * *

><p>On her way into the warden's office, Young bumped into a much taller figure. On his way out of the room was the one man Young wouldn't mind strangling at the moment.<p>

As he spoke lightly, Penelope could tell how fake the man was being, "Dr. Young, what a nice surprise to see you. A bit early aren't we?"

It took Young all of her restraint to not throttle him right there in front of her boss's office. Speaking gratingly, Young retorted, "Always a pleasure to see you too, psycho."

"You had best learn your manners or some of the less scrupulous people here may just make you regret it Doctor Young. Anyways, ta ta, I have work to go do."

As he left, Penelope was worried that the work may have to do with her patient, but she felt confident that as long as her colleague was looking after Jonathan that he would be fine. She had warned Bartholomew that Absonus had caused Jonathan to get into that condition and that under no circumstance was he to meet with Jonathan again while she was gone. A bit agitated, Young entered Warden Sharp's office and saw said man pacing the room, "Doctor Young, please take a seat. There is a lot to talk about this week I hear."

Sitting down in a nearby chair, Young responded, "Why yes, the Titan project has been coming along amazingly now that-"

Shaking his head, Sharp frowned and spoke in a tone of discontent, "Young, that is not what has come to my attention. Do you know what I am speaking of?"

Unsure as to what was going on, Young tilted her head, "Not entirely sir."

Sharp stopped pacing and pointed his walking cane at her, "Well then let me make it clear, you are to stop playing favorites with your patients. I hear that you have pushed off appointments and have even let one of them _sleep in your office_. Now, let me know if I am wrong, but this is not behavior fitting of my staff."

Instantly on the defensive, Young tried to rationalize her behavior, "I have shirked some appointments yesterday and today, but given the circumstances-"

Sharp snorted, "What circumstances? Inmates are brutalized every day, people die here every other week it seems. What makes your patient bleeding a little any different?"

Penelope lost her cool for a moment and her frustration erupted, "Well this was Doctor Absonus' doing! That insufferable man made it clear from the moment he came here that he wanted Jonathan as a patient, and all of a sudden he takes over my duties concerning Crane and not a day later Jonathan is laying in his own blood. Tell me there isn't something fishy with that-"

Speaking loudly and authoritatively, Sharp cut her off, "Absonus is a highly respected doctor who is standing in for our similarly highly regarded doctor Strange, and I will not hear this slander! This may be fine between you and your scheming patients, but it will not stand in this office. Understood?"

Young groaned, "Yes, but-"

Sharp bellowed again, "But nothing! You work for me, and you will respect my authority and respect your colleagues while you're at it. You think that you can come in here and spout nonsense about your superiors abusing their patients, on behalf of some damn jackal? You better follow whatever Absonus says or else he'll find a permanent position here…yours!"

Meekly, Young replied, "Yes sir."

Shooing her out of the room with a hand, Sharp turned around and walked towards his desk, "Now go get back to your duties and forget this blasphemy."

Young quickly scurried out of the room, scared witless and her spine prickling out of terror. She had worked so hard and to possibly lose all of that scared her more than any thug could.

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><p>AN: I'm not sure that I heard from everybody about Rogues that they are interested in seeing as well as people's opinion on how much I should use Frank Boles, so drop a comment if you want to influence the ratio of appearances! Hope you all enjoyed


	44. Session 44: Plasma Biohazard

For tonight's psychology, I estimate that 99.2% of all of you will demonstrate the bystander effect! Don't worry, it's natural and there is nothing wrong with it because every single person does it every day. But go against it and break the norm! Raise some anarchy and make Joker proud! I bet a lot of you aren't interested in me spouting my AP Psych notes at you, so I hope you enjoy the chapter! (P.S. Bystander effect is when a large group of people all believe that someone else is going to do something, with the result being that few or none actually do the action in question...cookies to whoever gets what I am referring to in this psych lesson!).

Special thanks to Bashlei for being part of the .8%!

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><p>Any feelings of shock or despair that had been born in Young had been dissipated. In their steed was a bubbling anger, mixed with extreme frustration. Not only had Absonus taken her patient from her, had him beaten half to death, and quite possibly drugged him, now Sharp was wrapped around the fill-in doctor's finger. After all she had done to bring back Arkham's reputation as a real facility and not a revolving door for mass-murderers, how could he just threaten her job like that? What had Absonus contributed to the facility to make it better in the slightest?<p>

As she briskly walked back to her office, Young noted that Absonus had been meeting with the warden right before her. Did that have something to do with the Warden's explosion at her? He must have whispered poison in the elderly man's ear, and he must have been doing so for some time now for her to have received that reaction.

Arriving at her office, Penelope took in a deep breath. She did not wish to explode on Bartholomew or Jonathan, who was still her patient in her opinion. Opening the door, she saw Bartholomew relaxed in his chair and laughing. Across the room was Jonathan who turned to face her now. Was Jonathan amusing her fellow doctor somehow? Her Jonathan, who was as serious as a drill sergeant, causing someone to laugh? The foreign concept was pushed aside when Bartholomew greeted her back, "Back so soon? Jonathan and I were talking about just how crazy this town is."\

Penelope smirked, for she was fully content with how he had greeted her. Apparently he was getting along with Jonathan just as she did, and Jonathan could use more friends than just her. Knowingly she questioned Bartholomew, "I trust you weren't given any trouble?"

This caused Bartholomew to chuckle again, rising from her chair with a little difficulty due to his weight, "Just as you said. If you ever need a hand looking after him again, just ask," gesturing towards the door, the overweight doctor began to walk towards it, "Now if you excuse me, I have some work to go do."

As he passed Young and went out the door, Bartholomew waved a hand at them, "Nice speaking with you Jonathan!"

The jovial attitude of her colleague lightened Young's mood slightly, but she still was extremely frustrated at her boss and Absonus. Still, she tried to put all of that aside and adopt a joking tone for her patient when she sarcastically asked, "So, were you okay with Doctor Bartholomew? He didn't burden you with his presence?"

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders as Young sat in the chair next to his makeshift bed, "He is a good man. I prefer his company to Kellerman's greatly."

Surprised slightly but not much that Jonathan shared her sentiment, Young beamed at him, "I'm glad to hear that you got along with him," thoughts turning to another certain doctor, Young sighed, "He's definitely better than some of the other doctors here…"

While not searching others for phobias and character flaws anymore, Jonathan still observing them keenly simply because it was what he always did. He could tell that his doctor was not feeling the best at the moment, which in turn displeased him because she was one of two people now who he felt comfortable with. Concerned, he asked, "Is something wrong, Doctor?"

His concern was not lost on her, but Penelope shook her head as she noted the reality of their situation, "Please, I'm not your doctor anymore. It's just Penelope now. Anyways, we would sound ridiculous if we just kept calling each other doctor."

Not fazed by the familiarity, Jonathan restated his question, still curious as to what was going on inside her head, "Is something the matter, Penelope?"

Remembering that she was talking to a former psychologist, Penelope decided to let her thoughts run freely, "Sharp just threatened to fire me unless I let Absonus have his way with you…I don't know what to really do. I don't want to give in to that madman Absonus, but I also can't get fired or else I'll still lose to the man."

Despite being silent for a moment, a moment that felt like an hour to Young, Jonathan responded in his neutral, calm voice, "I am fine dealing with Absonus if it means you can retain your job. It is the least I can do to repay the kindness shown to me by you."

Young gasped, totally astonished. Had Jonathan really just offered himself up for more abuse, more bullying, for her sake? She clearly was not talking to the pretentious, self-interested man with issues that she had met months ago.

Her expression lightened, eyes radiating sorrow and guilt, "Jonathan…"

The pity of him and their situation made Jonathan feel greatly uncomfortable. It was not normal for him to receive any positive emotions, and it genuinely felt out of place. To end the strangeness he felt, Jonathan looked at his own lap and broke eye contact, "I am used to big, bad bullies. I don't think I'll have the same experience with him the next time I meet him. He was demonstrating his power, not setting the norm."

Young still felt ridiculously guilty that she was basically handing her patient over on a silver platter to the sick man, "I'm sorry...", with a sigh, Young decided to end the conversation, "I need to go now Jonathan.

He nodded in response, still not facing her, "I understand. We…we can still meet after this, right?"

Penelope nodded and spoke reassuringly, "Of course Jonathan. I'll find a way to get around this. I have to go run some quick Titan tests, but I'll be back as soon as I can. I could see if Bartholomew would mind watching you a-"

Jonathan waved his hand, turning down the offer, "Don't bother. I'm fine. I don't think _he_ will bother coming after me," Jonathan cursed internally when he felt himself not say Strange…the sick doctor had no doubt made Jonathan unable to reveal the bald man's secret identity, "Not in your office definitely."

Penelope stood up confidently, feeling completely determined to see her patient's treatment through to the end, "Well, if you're fine, I'll go get them started. I am implementing some of the changes we've been working on recently. Hopefully they work out alright."

* * *

><p>Striding into the test center, Young called out to the three orderlies assigned to the project at the moment, "Are the subjects prepped for their infusions?" The three men shook their heads no, resulting in Young yelling back at them, "Well what are you standing around for? Get moving!"<p>

The men scrambled to get everything ready, not having expected Young to arrive early…she usually spent the first twenty minutes of her Titan sessions retrieving her dangerous patient and bringing him there to consult on how to better the formula…the three men working under her on said project did not trust that this sick man was actually helping at all, but they almost feared Young more than they feared her sicko patient. She could fire them, and would with no remorse, in a heartbeat where as her pet assistant couldn't harm them without giving away the fact that he was outside his cell for extended periods of time. That still didn't assure any of them of their safety, but it felt like slight insurance.

They rushed as they prepped the first man for the formula, hooking up the titan injectors to veins on the man's arms without first checking him over for any abnormalities. From his file Young knew that the man was a tall, pale immigrant from Germany with no prior conditions that should effect the experiment. His current health was unknown to her, but she didn't care. He was strong for a man of his age and he worked in a mine for a living before being brought to Arkham, and that was good enough for her.

The man grunted as the finished securing the injectors, but otherwise he didn't seem to care very much about what they were doing. He was new to Arkham, but he was a broken man who turned to committing acts of violence after losing every one of his coworkers in a mining accident. Survivors' guilt hit him, as he lost his friends then and would have rather been one of the dead. He was nearly catatonic recently, but he had handcuffs and leg-cuffs to prevent him from doing anything hostile during the testing. Now that the man was ready, Young gave the command to start the test, "Apply the new formula to the man."

One of the men walked away to the controls while the other two began to run some quick diagnostic tests on him, the ones they should have done but had planned on doing while their boss was late. Penelope frowned as the nitwits bumbled about, slowing down her project with their incompetence. The two men checking the patient's health began to argue over something through whispers that Young could not hear, but she knew something was going on that was likely going to anger her further. When one groaned, Young could not help but groan as well, "What the hell now? You realize the equipment is broken or something?"

The man stammered out, nervous to be the bearer of bad news, "Y-Young, he is showing signs of radiation. Should we canc-"

The doctor was more than fed up at this point, yelling from her observation booth, "Well I don't give a damn, he's slated to be tested on, so he's going through with it!"

Complying with the order, the man at the controls began the process of transferring the Titan. The man moaned as the formula was injected to his veins. Young observed the process, taking notes as his physique began to slowly grow in size until the already large man now stood a giant twelve feet tall and held the figure of a body builder.

Young murmured to herself in amazement, "This is much more potent than the other versions so far…"

The growth subsided and nothing more seemed to happen, but the amount of titan formula they used normally was double this. Despite the change in the formula's strength Young determined that she should at least see what would happen if she finished the dosage.

As more and more pumped into the man, he groaned greatly and seemed to be suffering from a great amount of pain as the process continued. Young ignored this, for there was still a decent amount of the formula to be used. Neither of the two orderlies still standing next to the miner inmate noticed the man's skin start to change color, going from a ghostly white to a very light maroon. The more Titan to enter the man the more this reaction began to grow, with it growing more and more apparent and darker to the confusion of the orderlies. Young was too busy with her notes to notice the change at all, but the orderlies began to grow more and more concerned as the man's skin not only became fully purple but also began to take a slimy appearance. Not soon after the man's body began to disfigure like melting wax, still retaining his humanoid features but holding the appearance of a blob creature.

Extremely concerned, the orderlies called out to Young, who had just looked up to see what was happening herself, "Doctor-"

Young snapped back at them, "I can see it perfectly clear! Cut off his flow of Titan you idiots!"

Turning the flow off did not halt the process however. His body in a liquid-plasma form, the inmate's handcuffs and leg-cuffs slipped through his limbs like they were going through a liquid jello. Free to move, the man lumbered towards the two orderlies nearby him, letting out a guttural sound as he approached them. The men yelped and backed up as the monstrosity approached them, "Ahhhhh! Stay away!"

Unfazed by their screams, the creature continued to approach them as they scrambled away from it, "Stay away from me!"

Young held a hand to her head and massaged her temple, "As if this day couldn't get any worse…"

The blob cornered the two men against a wall, but just as it started to touch them it began to shake and convulse. The two men screamed in terror as it literally melted into a puddle before their eyes, like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz died from water. The last act of the creature was to explode in a mess, the remnants of the former man smashing the orderlies into the wall they were against and knocking them out. Covered in purple slime, the men slumped to the ground.

Cursing her bad luck for the blasted chances of this happening the same day as her other problems, Young sighed and looked at her notes, "Well what the hell do we do now? Is this the result of his radiation or of the new formula?"

The sole orderly left gulped, tugging at his collar as he spoke to his boss, "Ma'am, I suggest that-"

Penelope shrugged, having given up on caring, "Only one way to test it. Bring out the next subject."

The orderly was terrified that he would fall victim to another blob creature if they ran the experiment again, "But ma'am, what of the other orderlies? What of the first subject?"

"I honestly don't give a damn, and if you care about your job you will keep quiet about this."

The orderly shivered in fright, "Yes Doctor Young. What do we do with this…plasma, acid creature?"

"I don't know, bury it in the botanical garden when there aren't patrols. Just get rid of it and make sure it won't come back to haunt us. But _after_ we finish our testing here."

* * *

><p>As soon as she walked into her office, Jonathan knew that Penelope's experiment had a mishap. Her white lab coat was covered in small, purple splotches that absolutely reeked. Unable to leave the question unasked, Jonathan pointed to his doctor's outfit, "What is that purple…mess?"<p>

Penelope felt embarrassed to be seen in such messy clothes, even more embarrassed by the horrible stench she knew she was emitting, "The Titan formula doesn't agree with radiated patients apparently. Our first patient was sadly heavily radiated…it was disgusting, please don't make me relive it."

Not wishing for the one of the only people he trusted to feel uncomfortable, he complied, "Done. We're going to go back to my cell now, aren't we?"

He received a glum look, "Sadly, yes. Are you ready?"

What may have been a simple response actually carried a tone that started to turn gears in Penelope's mind, "Let me look at my schedule…oh yes, I think I have an opening-"

Initially feeling like he was being annoying, Young quickly realized that her patient had in fact done something atypical, "Oh come on…wait, were you just trying to be funny?"

Jonathan hadn't even realized he had done something remotely humorous, so he was left confused, "No? Yes? Maybe?"

Penelope smiled, actually feeling her spirits lift for the first time that day, "You know, for that, I think I'm going to let you stay here a bit longer."

This further confused Jonathan, although he wasn't fully against the idea save how much trouble it may get her in, "Really? For a bad joke?"

Young shrugged nonchalantly, "Sure. I could use some positive company today."

Taking this new proposition into mind, Jonathan decided that there was one thing he absolutely needed to be done if he was to remain in the office for awhile, "One condition."

Penelope laughed, "Condition? Shoot, as long as it's reasonable."

Jonathan gave a coy grin, "You take that accursed lab coat and hang it outside. I can't stand the smell. Croc smells better."

Penelope laughed as she began to remove it, "Sure, I can't stand it either."

Having removed it fully, Young hung the coat outside her office on the door handle. Walking back into the room, she inspected herself for anymore of the sludge. Her pants were stained as well, but she was not going to also remove them for decency reasons. They weren't stained horribly, so Jonathan would have to just deal with that. Thinking of her lab coat, Penelope grinned, "It actually feels nice to take it off for once. Hell, I don't even know why we wear them a lot of the time. I mean, it helped keep my clothes clean today, but I'm the only doctor who does this kind of work."

Jonathan didn't particularly care why they used lab coats, but he decided to respond regardless, "Do they use it as a kind of uniform then?"

Young lay down on her couch, feeling mentally exhausted, "Possibly, never really thought about it. Right now, I just want to relax. I've had enough crap to deal with today."

Jonathan lay down on his makeshift bed as well, relaxing just like his doctor, "Take your time. I am in no hurry."

* * *

><p>AN: Teen Titan fans might have noticed that Plasmus made an odd appearance in this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Plasmus the blob creature will not be making another appearance in this fic, for he is deceased now, but I am curious as to what you all thought of him. Given the monsters that are formed by Titan, I thought that having a test subject with high radiation (Plasmus' powers are all in relation to his radioactivity) getting it would be a good way to create a somewhat plausible explanation for a Plasmus in this story.

Those who have no idea of the character I am referring to, don't worry. It won't have a lasting impact on the following chapters! Still, it would be nice to see what you all have to think as well!


	45. Session 45: Flower

Here is a chapter that I've been looking forward to for awhile. Three guest appearances in total! And a flower, thus the title. This takes place about three weeks after the last chapter, and it has a bit of a different tone. Not as depressing. Hope you all enjoy Harley, Two-Face, and the Riddler!

Thanks to Bashlei for the review, and for all of you for continuing to read this!

* * *

><p>31. Flower<p>

* * *

><p>A flower. A flower was the basis for a gas that caused extreme hallucinations of someone's worst fears. While some might think it ironic, Crane thought it showed how many things were truly more frightening than they seemed. Like himself for example. He could walk into a store and practically no-one would recognize him as the horrible man known as the Scarecrow, instead believing him to just be an average, if ghostly pale and deathly skinny, man.<p>

But still, a damn flower. A flower spelled the doom of countless people. If Crane had been the one to find its properties out himself, he may not mind it as much. Instead a mysterious benefactor had given it to him, having found out about it first and having come to Crane to learn about the blue flower that one could not find in any book about herbs.

That had been years ago, and by now Crane knew his benefactor to be none other than the infamous Ra's al Ghul. Ra's had said that in payment for having given Crane his potent weapon and for giving constant shipments of the blue flower, Crane would have to do a task for him one day. What task was to be asked of him or what it would be about, that was for Crane to ponder in his little free time in which he had nothing else to do. Those days had ended recently due to his change in mood, not feeling the underlying need to experiment more. Now he was just content existing, even if it meant that he was going to go meet Strange again.

They had been meeting for weeks now, but no incident like the first meeting happened again. Instead, Jonathan would be dragged there by Boles, an action that sometimes set off flashbacks depending on the harshness exuded by Boles, and Jonathan would be left with no actual recollection of what happened in the session. He had searched himself for wounds, but he found none other than those given to him by Boles during there trips there. Jonathan knew that Strange was doing something to his mind but knew that to resist would only trigger further flashbacks and earn him more beatings by Boles.

Jonathan was stunned by how much Ra's Al Ghul expected of him, for the shipments even continued in Arkham, mysteriously appearing in Crane's secret hideout between his own visits to the lair. He hadn't visited recently, but he was almost sure that he had more supplies now. Due to recent...circumstances, his old supply hadn't been used up. Due to his good citizen facade from before he had been holding back on the supplies as well, for he couldn't just go around using them thoughtlessly without ruining his plan. This resulted in him having even more of a stockpile than he would have had from just being out of commission for three weeks.

Still, Jonathan Crane did not like being kept in the dark or under someone else s thumb. If Ra s planned on using Crane like a pawn, Crane would have to show how much he had learned about the chemical properties in the flower&

Whatever the supposedly immortal Ra's al Ghul had in mind for him, Crane had an excess of the flower at the moment, which would be a good thing under normal circumstances but for now was just redundant. Jonathan had no way of preserving the flower at the conditions it needed to stay in for it to retain its fear inducing qualities because of his current work conditions. His lair did not yet have the capability of housing so much of the flower in the time it would take for him to extract its vital qualities. The possibility of a new shipment only brought more dread to him, for Jonathan would not be able to refine it or even store it _somewhere_ unless he could tap into his Scarecrow persona. The idea of doing that caused Jonathan some slight discomfort, for he knew that Strange would not have fully prevented him from taking his alter-ego, but he also knew that he was Jonathan Crane now, not the madman who tortured others for glee.

Twirling one of the blue flowers, a spare he had brought with him, Crane sighed. So, what could he do with it? He had asked himself that question one day in the space allotted to allow some of the criminally insane to socialize, and to his surprise he received an answer.

"Hey Professor Crane, I hear ya talking about flowers? You tryin' to impress a girl or something?"

Crane mentally cursed himself for mentioning the subject out loud before turning to one of the few 'friends' of his in the accursed asylum, "I apologize Harley, but you are mistaken. The issue I-"

Harley giggled and sat down across from him at the small table he was at, "So a guy then?"

If Jonathan Crane ever had to refer someone to Arkham, it would be Harley. A person that could truly be helped but chose not to be. Putting his palm on his forehead, Crane sighed lightly and spoke lightly so no prying guards or orderlies could hear, "You misunderstand what I am saying Harley. I have too much of a certain flower that creates my fear gas, and I have no use for the excess. But at the same time I do not want to idly throw away such a valuable resource."

Harley shrugged, "Well, ya aren't the Scarecrow anymore, right? Then why does it matta?"

Jonathan was conflicted. First off, he wasn't pleased that his peers were beginning to notice the change in his behavior, especially after that incident with those thugs who kicked him around. Two-Face had silenced them, permanently, but not until after they had blabbed to their friends as well. On the other hand, it was nice for him to be talking to a relatively nice inmate who would at least try to listen to him. Realizing that she didn't know the bind he was in, Jonathan decided to explain, still speaking in a hushed tone, "The resources are given to me by someone who expects results. I may not be able to become the Scarecrow anymore, but my benefactor does not care for such matters. If I cannot perform, I am of no use to him and am simply a liability and loose end. That is why I must find something I can do with these new resources."

Putting a finger to her chin, Harley looked off into space as she thought. Jonathan rose an eyebrow, but decided her childlike behavior had to be accepted in order for her to be who she was and thus ignored her as she continued it.

After a few moments of thinking, Harley's eyes lit up and she bore a huge grin, "I remember when Puddin' gave me flowers while I was treating him. Maybe if you give some flowers to your doctor, she'll turn out just like me!"

Crane looked seriously at Harley, silent. Seconds went by and her grin did not fade, indicating to him that she was being serious. Shaking his head and looking down, he gave another sigh. Yes, turn out just like Harley did. Obsessed with a homicidal maniac, and throwing away a promising career as a psychologist for a madman.

Crane felt a small part in his mind suggest that such a devious plot might actually be worth it, for it would be payback for what Young did by using him for her own gain.

Soon after he mentally blanched. What need did he have of a henchwench like Harley? He wasn't the Scarecrow anymore. That chapter in his life was finished as long as Strange was in control. And why would he ever consider someone like Young? Harley's logic made no sense, which was not a surprise to him actually. Why he had more of a chance of asking a physically disabled woman who was not of the crime persuasion who wasn t able to induce fear to become a Scaremistress or whatnot. Wait, he thought, had he just come up with a term for a Scarecrow henchwench?

Harley giggled, "So what now mistah, you actually thinking about it?"

Crane scowled and shook his head, "Get your mind out of this romance business Harley. It might actually do you some good along the line," might even cure you of your Joker addiction he added mentally.

Harley leaned forward on the table, "But come on Jonathan, wouldn't it be cool to have your own-"

"I said no! I don't even need anyone to help me anyhow, for I'm psychotically disabled for the time being!"

"-I mean after all, it is just miss Kitty, Ivy and me here. Not enough females in this place for my liking-"

"Drop it Harley!"

"-and you could sew her a costume, take over Arkham easily with her position and the expertise of the Rogues here-"

"I said no Harley! Get this frightening idea out of your head! It is seriously scary."

Harley giggled again, "-you could even teach her to make fear puns and use similar words in sentences, like you just did there-"

"Dr. Young isn't a dog that I can teach tricks-"

Harley continued to go on, ignoring him, "And then, maybe along the way, you two can-"

Jonathan reached across the table and grabbed Harley by the throat, "One more word Harley and I don t care what Joker will do, I will hurt you. I don t care if you're my friend or not, if you are implying and suggesting what I think you are-"

Harley whimpered, but bore a small grin still, "That you have a thing for our doctor and that I think you two can get happily married and-", Harley was cut off by Crane s hand closing tighter around her throat.

"Last chance Harley, shut up."

Harley held her arms up in defeat, "Fine, fine," Crane let her go and she straightened out her clothes before standing up, "I'll seeya later Professor."

Crane frowned as Harley turned and left, muttering a farewell to his bubbly friend.

Jonathan was not left alone for long, for he had a new visitor the second Harley left, "Jonathan, we need to talk."

Seeing the former DA sitting before him, fresh from solitary, lifted Jonathan's mood a little. Harvey had been sent there on Jonathan's behalf, having killed the men who knocked the tar out of him and also roamed Arkham trying to find a doctor who would help Jonathan. He even carried him back to his cell, a demonstration of the good side of his coin's power. The only luck Jonathan had that day was multiple good side flips.

Jonathan felt a little queasy looking at his friend's face, but he kept his face even and neutral, "Yes? What do you wish to speak of?"

Jonathan knew that he was once again on the receiving end of a good flip, for he heard what people identified as Harvey's voice speaking, not the Big Bad Harv side, "We need to speak to you about your recent...problem. You've done us some favors in the past Johnny, and we want to help you out. But what would that require us to do?"

Jonathan looked down at his table, feeling slightly bashful, "I...I do not know. I do want to thank you for what you have done already for me...you saved my life, and you went to help me afterwords."

Bad Harv's voice responded, "It was the hand of fate Jon, don't take it personally."

Jonathan could only smile in response, "You still saved my life regardless, and I am thankful for that. I suppose I should explain what was going on to you."

Harvey's original voice returned, "That sounds like the least you could do. We can't help you out if we have no idea what is going on."

It took some explaining, but Two-Face was soon given the lowdown and his curiosity satiated. At first he was silent which Jonathan understood, for hearing that your ally was now at the mercy of a deranged doctor while having his personality split as it used to be before the halves merged years ago. One half was repressed unless a codeword was given, and it just so happened to be the half that assisted Two-Face in gang conflicts.

Two-Face took this reasonably well.

"We can't wait until we get our hands on that bald freak-"

Jonathan had to calm him down, noting that a direct confrontation most likely would not fix whatever had been done to him. One flip later, Two-Face cursed Jonathan's luck.

"Fine. Baldy lives for now. But if we find you, or that pretty doctor who's taking care of you, in a bad spot, he will meet our own form of justice that we deal to those who harm our allies and friends."

"Thank you. When I find a way to have Strange reverse this, I wouldn't mind at all if you harmed the sick bastard."

Their conversation over, Two-Face departed and left Jonathan all by his lonesome. It was only when Crane got back to his cell room that he noticed he had somehow dropped and lost the flower he had previously had with him.

* * *

><p>Young was in a foul mood. She had been working nonstop for the past week, meeting with almost every single major nutcase in the facility, the so called 'Rogues', except for the one she actually wanted to meet and speak with. Jonathan was vulnerable for some reason and she felt obligated to protect him from that bastard Absonus.<p>

Opening her door, she stalked into her office. She hadn't even seen Jonathan in a week. She bullied one of her orderlies into keeping tabs on Jonathan, but her schedule had been so full that she hadn't been able to see him in person. With warden Sharp keeping a hawk eye on her, she had no way of blowing off or rescheduling things to make time for Jonathan. And her pass-code for the extreme isolation cell didn't work anymore. She tried it after work one day and was frustrated when she found she could not enter it. Surely it was Absonus' doing, which maddened Penelope even more.

Flicking her lights on, Penelope looked at her desk and blinked.

Penelope rose an eyebrow at the blue flower sitting right on her desk. She walked over to her desk and examined the new object. Tied to its stem was a small tag that read JC and said nothing else. Young blushed at the gesture, surprised that one of her patients knew that it was her birthday and even more surprised that one of them had obviously went to some trouble to get her a gift.

Young picked the flower up, still blushing lightly. No-one else had gotten her a gift, not yet. Her father was in town and they were meeting that night to go out and eat, but she didn't expect anything from him. He already helped her out so much with her projects and funding, so she would feel guilty expecting anything else from him. But this...she could not remember the last time someone had gotten her a birthday present. Her foster parents weren't fans of material things, which Young resonated with on a certain level, so she never got things from them. They preferred family gatherings and being together which always made Young feel better...like she actually belonged somewhere.

Holding the flower and twirling it slowly, Young sighed. How sad was it that she got her sole present from a man in an asylum who she treated?

Jonathan Crane had sent her a birthday present. Penelope wasn't exactly sure how to take the gesture though. Jonathan was thoughtful, so he must have put some real thought into this. Knowing him, this couldn't be a romantic thing, for she had concluded the man was definitely asexual. He didn't even glance when put in the same room as Pamela Isley or Selina Kyle. Was Jonathan thanking her for being supportive of him and helping his recovery? Whatever the case, how had he acquired the same flower that her father brought her between visits and that her foster parents had grown in their garden? It was her favorite flower, and she knew how rare it was for she had never seen it in any botany guide. Jonathan had obviously gone to some trouble to acquire her this and she could not help but feel touched.

Penelope made a mental note to thank Jonathan the next time she saw him, totally overlooking the fact that he or whoever delivered it must have broken out from their cell or bribed/threatened an orderly to bring it. And that is ignoring that actual acquisition of the flower, but Young could literally care less. She may be one year closer to dying, but for the first birthday in awhile she didn't actually mind.

* * *

><p>"HARLEY, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"<p>

It took four orderlies to restrain Crane from throttling Harley, who stood across the recreational room and was blowing a rhapsody at the former professor.

Edward Nigma looked on to the scene with some interest. After their little argument the day before, the Riddler had decided to keep an eye on the two former psychologists.

Once he heard about Harley Quinn's shenanigans with a certain flower, Nigma scoffed and gave off an easy riddle, "I weaken all men for hours each day. I show you strange visions while you are away. I take you by night, by day take you back. None suffer to have me, but do from my lack. What am I?"

Was the illustrious master of fear indeed in love with Dr. Young? Very puzzling indeed, a riddle worth solving in Nigma s free time. Well, free time not involved in finding ways to escape. Selina was expecting for him to come through on his end in their jail break, so he had to put aside this annoyance for the moment and finish his scheming.

But it would be fun to solve, and it's not like he had anything better to do while he was in his cell. He did have to get around to leaving his riddles around the asylum though, because Batman would assuredly stop by sometime in the future at the asylum. So, best be prepared.

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><p>Riddle gotten from: http: www. onlyriddles. com /336/

So, I am very curious as to what you guys think. I can't improve on what I am doing wrong if I don't get feedback from you all, and I can't know what I am doing right for the same reason. Ideas, constructful criticism, characters you want to see, and whatnot are all welcome. So please drop a review by, even if it is just to say you want so and so back in the story. Hope to hear from you guys!


	46. Session 46: Dinner and a Guest

And to think this was going to be a 1000 word chapter...kept getting ideas for it. I may actually refine it a bit in the future, but I thought you guys deserved a chapter after waiting oh so long. Hope you guys enjoy!

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! you rock Bashlei, Me-ladie, and Jason Rulz Death! The feedback on chapters really does help me, for I cannot improve if I don't hear people's opinions and thoughts. So, I hope all you readers out there enjoy this and are generous enough to give me your opinions!

Oh, and two more guest appearances. This all takes place before the ending bit of the last chapter when Crane goes berserk on Harley, so basically this is still on Penelope's birthday. I will give you three guesses who the first person is, and the first two don't count. (Hint: The second one is my least favorite Batman character ever)

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><p>Of the many things Gotham city was recognized for, a fine cuisine was not among them. With more colorful, sometimes in a literal fashion, and interesting things sweeping through the streets, the finer side of the city was often overlooked. Why go to the museum in town if one could stay at home and watch the Batman, the Joker and the police in a gigantic car chase? The more wealthy members of society still frequented such facilities, but there was a waning interest by the general public.<p>

Given how valuables on display at any high class place had targets drawn on them with whatever theme they had falling under one of the many Rogues' obsessions, larger insurance policies were taken if the insurance companies offered at all. Some had stopped supporting restaurants, museums and theaters entirely, for the risks such places had was known very well. This resulted in major losses incurred by the places that could remain open, and for the prices of all to increase to make up for the loss of profits. This further distanced the already waning public interest, making trips to them almost exclusively reserved for the utmost wealthy.

It is through this vein that Henri Ducard and his daughter sat in an extremely pricey and extravagant restaurant with few other patrons to listen to them. While not known very publicly, the name Ducard, when seen, commanded some slight attention by the staff. The man known as Henri Ducard was wealthy, well mannered, and tipped in a manner as extravagant as the places he frequented. His reasoning behind such large tips, or rather donations as some may see them, was to keep around places that he respected and enjoyed. Attendants at all places lived to please the man when he arrived, which gave his daughter Penelope a slightly awkward feeling as so many people turned up their sycophantic ways.

Seated in seat with a view of the beautiful and dark city, Ducard spoke to his precious daughter as their waiter poured them vintage wine, "So Penelope, how have you been? It has been awhile since I have gotten to see you."

Eyeing the way to humble waiter nervously, Penelope sighed. She would not ever feel comfortable with such drones, a lack of comfort enhanced by her parent's question, "I would rather not talk about how I've been…can we discuss something else?"

Henri nodded, not noticing as the waiter disappeared wordlessly to fufill their orders, as well as not noticing the relief Penelope showed upon said leaving. Something was on his mind and slightly distracting him, but he still responded, "Of course dear, but I would like to know what it is that is bugging you? Work troubles?"

Thinking, Penelope debated how she should describe her situation. If she sounded too protective, then her father would accuse her of getting involved with her patient, which she wasn't, and if she didn't describe the horrible things Absonus had done then her father would not understand the situation. Both things threatened to hurt her main point, which left her in a jam in how to describe the events.

Finally, with some indecision, Penelope decided that revealing Absonus' horrors were worth the implication of being accused of being close to a patient by her beloved father, "Well…yes. If you're up to listening, I suppose I could let out the nastier things to say before dinner is served."

Ducard laid back and shrugged his shoulders, "Go ahead Pen, I am all ears."

"My problem lays entirely in my undermining coworker, Doctor Absonus," closing her eyes and venting a sigh of frustration, Penelope missed the fleeting look of confusion on her father's face, "He thinks that he can just come, take my patient, and then have the poor man beaten half to death with no provocation. He-"

The sudden influx of knowledge caught Henri off guard, "Woah, woah, hold on a minute dear. What has this doctor done exactly?"

Slowing down a little, Penelope sighed before continuing her rant, "First, he arrives at Arkham and threatens me, and I am quite positive my patient at some point, to hand over my patient to him or-"

Again cutting her off, Penelope's father raised his brow in some confusion, "All over a patient? Which inmate could it possibly be to cause such a conflict?"

Penelope felt that she knew what further questions she was going to have to ask after this, speaking in a monotone, "Jonathan Crane, formerly known as the Scarecrow."

Henri's less than pleased reaction did not show in his face, but rather his tone changed severely, "That madman? He is one of the so-called 'Rogues' in this town who causes destruction at every turn. Don't tell me that you've actually formed a patient-doctor bond with such a man?"

She didn't feel like she could possibly meet her dad's eye as she disagreed with him, instead looking down at the table, "Jonathan may have done some questionable things in his past, but he is a really changed man now. I have no doubt that if he was given his fear gas and toxins that he would not use them on anyone. He isn't insane and he isn't a menace to anyone now."

Ducard didn't know whether to smirk or frown as he replied in a snarky manner, "Is this my attention-starved, lonely daughter in need of a social life speaking or the doctor that has commanded respect by many of the top institutions in the world?"

Despite knowing that such a question would pop up, it still left Penelope flustered to be called attention starved as well as lonely, "Dad!"

"Penelope, we both know that you spend quite a lot of your time working. Even I know when it is time to rest, dear. I am a little worried that your growing attachment to this patient of yours is a result of your lack of fr-"

Now completely flustered, Penelope decided to cut him off, "Dad, I am the psychologist, remember? I don't need you to analyze me," she paused briefly before continuing, trying to calm herself down, "I care for my patient more than a lot of other people do for him, but he has no-one to truly talk to and he needs someone like me to help him through his problems."

Seeing a window of opportunity, her father jumped back in, "Lonely, as in like yourse-"

While still flustered by her father's antics, Penelope giggled a little as she thought of her response, "Dad, please drop it. Jonathan is an asexual man in a mental asylum. I do have standards, unlike that harlot Harleen Quinzel."

The whole parenting thing a bit uncomfortable for him, Ducard decided to just talk about the subject at hand and not his daughter, "Fine, fine. Anyways, we were speaking about how this doctor Absonus threatened you and took your patient away. This is old news, so what is going on now?"

Now that they were past the embarrassing portion of their conversation, Penelope forged on to illustrate the evil of her fellow doctor, "Well, recently Absonus had a security guard drag Jonathan across the Asylum and, from the looks of it, had someone beat the hell out of the poor man. He was so badly beaten that I found him lying in his own blood in his cell. Furthermore, all of my duties concerning Jonathan were taken away from me and Absonus now has full control over him."

Ducard could not withhold his curiosity, asking a question about the incident in lieu of comforting his daughter, "Interesting. Has the abuse continued since the first instance?"

Penelope shook her head, "No, but I think that is only part of what happened…when Jonathan first woke up after his beating, he was delirious, and I don't think it was because of blood loss. Every time I have seen him since he has not been one hundred percent. He seems to have regressed in some ways, but he is also in a nearly constant state of terror."

The degeneration of Crane did not sit well with Ducard, but not because of the reason he would later profess, "The 'god of fear' being constantly fearful? Crane was supposed to be a master of fear, especially his own. How could that change?"

Penelope sighed and looked down again, her countenance sad and downtrodden, "I have no idea, but I think Absonus is drugging Jonathan and messing with his mind. I am scared about what will happen to Jonathan if this continues."

Pulling all knowledge he had of Jonathan Crane from his mind, or rather all knowledge that he would say comfortably in front of his daughter, Ducard tried to hypothesize as to why the change had occurred, "If the man has made the progress that you claim he has, then it would be reasonable to fret over seeing him regress back into his former ways. From what I have heard, he was a tormented child who was scared and created this Scarecrow persona as a result of the horrors he was faced with. One half was his fearful but vengeful self, who would not harm a fly not from pity but of fear, and the other his tougher, more ruthless self that he unleashed on the birds who flocked his yard."

Penelope didn't look up, feeling her eyes go to the brink of watering as she remembered Jonathan's tragic background. She held the tears back, not wishing to be seen as wishy-washy in front of her dad, but she still felt horrible as she thought of how horrible her patient's life had been all throughout. While some may have considered going to Arkham to be the worst fate possible, Penelope had trouble believing that the asylum was the worst piece of Jonathan's life.

Continuing his hypothesis, Henri spoke in a fashion befitting of a teacher or mentor, "Originally with a fragmented psyche like the well-known Mr. Dent, his psyches merged years later when he lost his job and he became a completely ruthless psychopath. If he has regressed into being passive and fearful, then I believe there is reason to fear that he once more has this other fragment of his mind that is lurking beneath the fragile façade named Jonathan. That dark side was what led him down his dark path, and that is the part that can harm people if it exists again."

Somewhat entranced and interested in her father's theory, Penelope listened as he continued, "My guess is that your sessions with him brought his mingled mind into a more sane state, with his logic and former insecurities forging past his rage. Now you are faced entirely with the same person you were talking to, for now he will be bound to be nicer and exhibit his more positive emotions with the flip side of the coin being that his anger and other dark emotions will be bottled up until they explode, like they were before. That is if his mind has fragmented again, which is what it sounds like it has."

Settled on placing her own professional opinion, the actual doctor piped up and looked up, "Jonathan has not shown any sides of having a multiple personality disorder by my diagnosis, but I will keep an eye out for him. We've come to far in his treatment to lose him to what he was before, especially not because of that damned man Absonus."

"It would be a shame to see your pet project, well, one of them, come crashing down and explode in your face," his voice slightly stern, Young's father looked her straight in the eye, "He is a dangerous man Penelope, like it or not, and I will caution you in meeting with him now. I do not want to see him snap and harm you in the process."

Young understood his concern and nodded. While she comprehended why her father was cautionary, she did not believe that the same man who gave her a flower as a present was any threat, "Thanks, but I trust Jonathan entirely. I don't want to see anything bad happen to him…everything is changing, and I am not sure I like any of it."

Deciding that on a day of celebration that dark topics should not be discussed, especially at the dinner table, Ducard cleared his throat, "Well dear, there is no use fretting on the subject on your birthday of all days. Now, our food should be here soon. Want to move onto another, less dark topic?"

Young could use the change in topic for she felt like she was boiling in rage at Absonus, but feeling cold with knowing what her patient was going through. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe you could come with me to the next Wayne Enterprises party. Would you be interested? You can meet some very influential and important people at these gatherings."

Penelope groaned internally, for she knew going to such an event would benefit her, but also knew that it would annoy her to no end, "Father, I hate dealing with those upper crust jerks who think that they own the world and the people in it."

Henri gave his daughter a knowing grin, "But remember Pen, those are the people who can help you achieve the most good with your talents. How do you think I can help fund your research so generously? I have very important people as friends and confidents."

Contemplating it briefly, Young decided to accept the invitation, "Well, I don't think that it would be the worst thing to happen to me…thank you for offering, I think I will go."

Liking it when others followed his ideas and let him 'guide' their actions, Ducard's grin grew, "That is wonderful to hear," as an afterthought, he added in a comical fashion, ""And maybe you'll even dress a little provocatively and catch the eyes of some rich bloke!"

Having heard his spiel on her marrying someone, Penelope now groaned out loud, "Dad! Drop it! I may not be seeing anyone, or ever have in that matter, but that doesn't mean I need a matchmaker!"

In a partially joking and partially concerned tone, Henri responded, "But Penelope, how do you expect to carry on your genius if you never find yourself a significant other?"

Deadpan, Penelope responded, "Cloning. I find men to be disgusting idiots for the most part, you being one of the few that are not hairy imbeciles."

While accepting the odd compliment, Henri remembered that his daughter was subject to the law and that just cloning herself would not exactly be acceptable by those standards, "Why thank you very much honey, but cloning? Isn't that illegal Penelope?"

Penelope shrugged, completely relaxed and still not showing facial expression, "So is forcing people to undergo testing that often ends in their deaths, but I look past these things when it suits everyone."

"Everyone dear?"

"When I finish my Titan formula, I can help cure more inmates with the help of severe treatments. With less crazies running around here, life will get better for everyone. Transitive property in math. If A is equal to B and B is equal to C, then A is equal to C."

Ducard nodded, understanding his daughter's logic. Sometimes bad things had to be done for the good of everyone, an idea that he understood all to well with his past exploits in Gotham.

Young continued, "And if I clone myself, then I can have the newer me help out humanity in the future in some other way. Win-win."

Amused, Henri chuckled, "Penelope, I think you like bending the rules to suit you."

Young smiled back at her dad, "Of course. Everyone does it when they can, so I am no different than any other human being."

"Right you are Penelope. That principle is exemplified by this city as a whole…the corruption here goes as deep as the manipulation of the system itself by criminals. Falcone, Maroni, these 'Rogues'…what sick people does it take to accept this as everyday life, something that is acceptable in their everyday life?"

"Fearful people," Penelope corrected, "Anyone can walk up to Falcone and confront him, but if they were any threat to him they would be dead a thousand feet before that. His enforcers keep people in line who protest, and others are just found dead…again, everyone knows that such killings aren't accidents but no one does anything," quickly she amended her statement, "Except the Batman and his sidekicks, that is."

Ducard's face became a little steely, and his tone darker, "He is a fine man, fighting against evil each day without becoming it himself, but he is weak. He does not have it within him to kill another man, even if the situation would benefit him greatly. If only this state had the death penalty…then the criminals would be taken care of and not coddled like they are currently."

Penelope's face grew darker as the conversation did the same, "I wish animals like the Joker were put down for good, but they seem invincible. How is it that they avoid death at every turn? With all their fights with the authorities and Batman you would think that a lot more of them would be killed, even by accidents and whatnot."

Their waiter arrived with their meals, quietly placing it on their table as Henri spoke, "This is true," his words hovered as he briefly waited to continue, "But I think that we should abandon this topic for now. Our food awaits, and it is always best warm."

Penelope felt a sense of pride swell within her that she was related to such a man as Henri, "Thank you again for bringing me out to such a nice place."

His face shone brightly in response, but slowly became more forlorn, "You are welcome. You are much more appreciative of my affection and gifts than your sister is," he sighed as another thought came to his mind, "That reminds me. She is in town as well. Are you two going to finally bury the hatchet and make amends?"

Penelope's face became neutral. Thinking and speaking of her dreaded half-sister angered her but she wanted to just enjoy the night so she kept herself calm, "Not to sound rude, but not until she earns my forgiveness, which I know she will never do because of her god-complex that doesn't allow insects such as myself to be treated as humans."

Henri laughed, understanding his daughter's frustration at her sibling all to well. There were moments where he wished he had rose Penelope instead of her sister, "Tania needs some personality adjustment, I do agree. Still, it would be nice to see you two play nice, especially without you having to grovel to do it."

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><p>If Jonathan had any one particular event he did not wish to relive it was being dragged out of his bed and cell to only be manhandled and abused. He noted the irony in how he technically was not being <em>man<em>handled at the moment though.

Tossed to the ground, Jonathan tried to stand but the dark garbed figure standing before him knocked him back down, "Show your superiors the proper respect, Crane."

"Superior would indicate that you're better than me somehow, Talia. You're just a crybaby who bullies others because of your own insecurities that both lead you to acting self-righteous and-"

Kicking him in the gut, the assassin spoke with venom in her voice, "I understand that you have been undergoing certain difficulties in making your fear toxin as of recent. Would you care to elaborate on this, scum?"

Jonathan had blood drip from his lip, still on the ground. He knew that if he fought back he would suffer from another series of flashbacks, but he still feared that getting beaten would instigate them too, "I…I don't need to explain myself to you, witch. I just can't do it now, and I won't be able to from here on out. Now, if you could speak with Ra's about that I would be very grateful."

Talia drew her sword slowly, "I'll get right on that," quickly stomping her foot on his back, Jonathan let out a cry of pain, "after I beat the formula out of you. I'll have to add your murder to the things I'll say to him though."

Her voice dripped with fake sadness as she continued, "Tragic event. The madman came at me in a frenzy," taking her foot off his back, she swung it and kicked him in the face, "and in self defense I ran my blade through him. Now where the hell is the formula?"

Jonathan could feel his fear mounting, and minor instances of bullying flooded his mind. If she continued to harm him or even mock him, he knew he would become a vegetable again. He wouldn't be able to do anything at that point, so he decided that resisting now would be his only shot if he wanted to survive this. As she moved to kick him again, Jonathan rolled over and had to fight back a flashback of being rolled down a hil in a trashcan. Slightly surprised that he was putting up any resistance, for Strange had promised her that he would not be able to do anything at all if confronted, Talia's kick swung straight into the air.

With the moment of confusion Jonathan sprung to his feet. As she had a sword he had no illusions that he could physically beat her in a fight. While he was not in his Scarecrow mindset, Jonathan still knew how to beat people in other fashions, "You're a real child, aren't you? You're half the mastermind your father is and you make up for it with your superiority, if not god, complex.

Talia lunged at him wildly with her fist, still intent on beating the formula out of him, "Shut up you vile man!"

Her fist missed, Jonathan having sidestepped her and retreated into his cell, knocking over a container of cologne on his way into it, "You know you aren't as good as him, and you know you're not a worthy heir."

Fully fed up with her associate, Talia decided to just search for someone else who could make the damn gas rather than permit his insolence to stand a moment longer. She lunged again, this time swiping with her sword, "That's the last straw!"

Jonathan retreated from the blow into the very corner of his room, but his mind was completely blank and his eyes distant. The odd look on the man's face shook Talia and she stopped her attack in confusion. Before she could form a sentence to question it the faraway look was replaced with a sinister sneer and a cackle.

Furious, Talia went for the kill with her sword tip pointed straight at Crane, "What are you laughing about? What's so damned funny?"

"Ohhh ," still laughing, the man ducked under the blade and punched Talia in the gut. She jumped back to put space between them, intent on listening to whatever this fool had to say now, "it feels _good_ to be back, you worthless whore. No more Jonathan to hold me back for the first time in years it feels like."

Talia did not understand. What the hell was this man talking about? He may be in an asylum, but usually he at least was coherent. He continued to talk, but his tone was much different from the indignant one from before, "And in case you were wondering, you are a skanky whore. What's been your personal goal for the past few years I've known you? Oh yeah, to sleep with a certain cowl wearing man," he began to pace around his cell as he spoke and used hand gestures almost comically, not unlike how the Joker sometimes did, "It's understandable though, for you don't see yourself as a laudable successor to Ra's, so why not bang the smartest man on the planet and make a prodigy baby?"

The Demon's Head's daughter shook her head slowly, "I'm going to enjoy killing you much more than I should, Crane."

Crane scoffed, "Oh really?" Holding his finger up in a scholarly fashion he continued, "Then tell me this, what it is that you're smelling right now?"

Talia could not understand where the man was going with this, "Your cologne that you knocked on the floor, you clumsy idiot-"

Keeping his finger raised, Talia wanted to cut it off as he spoke, "Now think carefully, which I know may be a bit difficult for someone with your mental ability, or should I say disability, but why would someone with no care for personal hygiene like myself have cologne in his cell when he could have other, more useful things?"

Having once smelled the dreaded formula that Jonathan Crane the Scarecrow used to instill fear in his victims, Talia yelled as she recognized what the cologne in the air actually was, "No…you, you bastard!"

The Scarecrow nodded, agreeing with the insult, "A bastard I am. My father left my mother and I before I was born," he gestured to himself before pointing at Talia, "I'm lucky though, for I didn't have anyone's shoes to fill, unlike yourself. How is it that you handle having such a successful father despite failing to live up to all of his pretty low expectations? It must be difficult for you-"

Illusions and hallucinations all appearing before her eyes, Talia screamed as she swung her sword uselessly in a blind rage, "Stop it! Get out of my head!"

Disarming Talia with a well placed kick to the wrist, the Scarecrow lifted the sword and spoke comfortingly, "There there, this will be over in one," swinging the sword towards where Talia had been standing, he felt it swish through the air and he groaned in frustration, "second."

Talia had been moved from her place by one of her assassins, said assassin carrying the hallucinating woman out of the area as she screamed and raved. The Scarecrow knew that it was pointless to give chase, so he tossed the sword to the floor instead, "Damnit! Her own personal guard. I should have expected their unwelcome intrusion."

As the sword bounced across the room, the Rogue noticed that he was free, both of his asylum cell and of the mental prison that Strange had locked him in. He had shared Jonathan's head for years before finally becoming dominant, only to be shoved back in like he ws just some imaginary boogeyman.

The Scarecrow was going to take advantage of this freedom if it was the last thing he was going to do, "Now that Johnny is not home, I should work on remedying my supply issue," a sudden other Rogue came to mind, "although he isn't known for warm welcomes, I do not think he will mind my visit. He gets so little company too, so he may not even mind cutting a deal."

Looking at the open cell, abandoned sword and smashed container the Rogue sighed, "Hopefully I will not be met with any other visitors myself…I do not think I can manage another reckless but dangerous idiot stumbling my way."

Glancing around his open cell, the entity not to be called Jonathan Crane pondered what he could use for his visit, "Now, what do I have that I can use for heat…"

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><p>AN: So, Talia al Ghul and Henri Ducard! I really like Ducard. I really don't like Talia. Cookies for people who can guess the (extremely easy) guest appearance ahead of us in the next chapter!

I am sorry Talia fans, but she will be butting heads with Crane quite a bit in this story. Not only do I dislike her, but I don't see them as being the type to get along and play nice. Kind of like Young and her sister.

People who can guess spoilers from what I left in this chapter for you get more cookies! Watch Batman Begins if you want a hint.


	47. Session 47: Some Call me Snow Miser

Here ya guys go! For those who were curious, here's one last chance to guess who today's guest character is!

"Some call me Snow Miser, whatever I touch, turns to snow in my clutch..."

I'm a bit sad that absolutely no one guessed last time around...I miss you guys.

Special thanks to Acyrotin for adding this story to their watch/alert list and me to their favorite author's list!

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><p>66. Snow<p>

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><p>"So Crane, what is the purpose behind this conversation. I find it unlikely you came simply to say hello."<p>

Jonathan nodded and suppressed a shiver. After the exhilaration of the fight wore off he had been slowly reverting back to his normal mindset, and was currently caught between the diametrically opposed halves. The room he found himself in was at a ridiculously low temperature, one definitely not meant for the average human, and Crane had entered it wrapped to the brim with every piece of clothing he had, costume and inmate clothing mixed together along with a coat he snatched from an office on his way to the special containment cell.

Jonathan needed to find a way to not waste his fear gas ingredients, something that both personalities could agree on even if it was for different reasons. Jonathan's piece of the mind did not fully comprehend it's other half's existence, nor did it know why it was acting differently than normal. Something was mentally blocking him from investigating the odd sensation he felt, but again Jonathan found nothing out of place in his own mind. Things were just as they had always been and he had no perception of the illusion he was holding himself under.

Jonathan looked the icy Rogue in the eye with eyes just as cold as his 'host', "You would be right Fries. I came to strike a business proposition. This room, your habitat, would prove to be very useful for storing any excess of my supplies. The shipments I have been receiving exceed my own storage capacity."

Fries looked at Crane and narrowed his eyes slightly. A business deal with any criminal held its own risk, but the infamous Rogue Gallery was known for its partnerships to almost always turn sour. Crane was not often affiliated with others, his closest Rogues being the Riddler and Two-Face but those were mutual agreements of respect between them. Nigma respected Crane's mind while Two-Face respected the fear the Scarecrow could induce as well as the justice reigned down on bullies at large. Such were not business propositions, and thus had no relevance in how their possible transaction would be like. Mister Freeze was also wary of how this man managed to continue his war of fear despite never stealing any money, a sense of dread enhanced by the fact that the Scarecrow was known to be cunning.

Fries did not disguise his look of suspicion, "And tell me Professor, what I would receive out of this arrangement?"

Crane nodded, still trying his best to ignore the biting chill on his face, "To be perfectly blunt, money. I know that you are always in need of more so that you can fund your projects. I can have all money that I own as well as whatever I gain over time to be transferred to you, minus my own living expenses."

Fries continued to stare coldly at his guest, "If I am correct, money holds no value to you, does it Crane?" Crane nodded and Fries continued, almost stating his questions rather than asking them, "And may I ask how you will end up accruing any money within these walls? You cannot go rob any banks as it is, and there isn't much cash flow within Arkham. So explain to me what it is you plan to do to get me my money."

Crane again nodded, speaking quickly so that he could attempt to get out of there as soon as possible, " I receive biweekly payments of large quantities to run my experiments, as well as supplies, all from a benefactor who wishes for me to continue what it is I do. I need practically none of the money given to me, so I can simply give you whatever it is that is left."

Fries remained still for a moment. This was a prime opportunity to raise the funds he would need to help save his beloved wife after he finally escaped from the accursed asylum. That was enough to make him agree, especially since he had little to lose in this arrangement, "As long as you do not pull any tricks or scams on me Crane, I will allow you to store your supplies in here. Be warned though, I am to be free soon and it will not bode well for you to anger me."

Crane nodded, "As long as I am able to use your room to keep my supplies, I will continue paying you, even after you leave Arkham with the others."

Fries nodded back to his business partner, "Then I believe we have ourselves a deal Crane. This will help me in my goal of saving Nora, and I have little to lose if you uphold your end of the bargain."

"Then it is settled. Thank you, Victor."

Jonathan felt himself return completely back to his original state of being, with no dark thoughts pressuring him and fear rampant in his mind. He felt afraid of the cold, afraid of the menacing Rogue before him, and afraid that he would be found outside his cell. He began eyeing everything around him with caution as he made his way to the exit.

Freeze noticed the change, "Is something that matter, Jonathan?"

Not wishing to demonstrate how he had become weak old Jonathan Crane again Jonathan denied that any problem existed, "No, I'm just cold that's all," Jonathan had an odd question come to mind and felt nervous as he asked his fellow Rogue it, "Victor, would you mind telling me why you strive so hard to revive your wife?"

Freeze was not accustomed to being asked about his goal by other Rogues. The ones who didn't laugh at him for being so based in emotion despite being coldhearted laughed at him instead for being so 'sappy'. Victor was genuinely caught off guard, hesitating as he responded, "Nora was my life before she became ill and the accident happened. She was the only person who ever reached out to me truly, with no reason beyond her own kindness. Too many times had I been misled by the fakeness of others and been subject to ire, so when I was married to a woman beautiful in spirit as well as mind and body, I clung to her. Losing her was like losing myself. I would do anything for Nora."

Jonathan stopped walking out of the cell, fear gripping at him but not overwhelming him as he thought over what Fries had just said. Fries had been an outcast, just like himself, and someone helped heal his broken self. If someone helping you while no others would was reason enough to care for the said person, the Jonathan had trouble finding a reason to stay angry with Doctor Young at all.

Losing his doctor would terrify Jonathan. To be without her would mean to be without the only positive person he had ever had in his life. To think that Fries was driven by the loss of a similar figure in his life actually made Jonathan's heart tug and feel sorry for the icy man. This spurred the normally distant man to open his mouth again, catching Fries off-guard yet again, "If you ever need help with your cures, I am good with chemicals, so...um…"

Fries took a moment to gather himself before he realized exactly what was being offered to him, "I understand. Thank you for your offer, and if I need your assistance I would kindly accept your help."

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><p>Arriving in a limousine at Penelope's home, her father dropped his beloved daughter off. As she got out of the fancy car her father chuckled, "So you are officially one year older today Penelope. Do you feel any older?"<p>

She gave a half shrug, "No, not really. Only a day older than yesterday," glancing at her father's features on the way out made an idea pop into Young's mind, "I must say though, you haven't aged a day since I first met you. What's your secret?"

Ducard's face almost betrayed him as he quickly killed any traces of anxiousness before speaking in a calm and comedic voice, "Maybe I'll tell you when you're older dear. You're still young, so you have no need of my age remedies."

Penelope laughed and began walking away from the car, "Fine, fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Penelope."

No sooner had Penelope opened the door to the building and stepped inside did Ducard have someone fling open the door opposite the one Penelope used and barge into the car. The shrouded figure growled as it plopped itself down next to the businessman who replied in a monotone, "Why hello Talia. I was not expecting you to report back to me so soon."

Talia al Ghul did not even face her father as she spoke, instead glaring ahead, "Crane has to die."

Ra's al Ghul sighed, not wishing to deal with this daughter's rage after just spending such quality time with the other, "No, no, we can't have that. He is to valuable to us, just as Strange is," smiling, the man known as Ra's al Ghul by his followers and Ducard by others continued, "I find it interesting that with a wig and a different pair of glasses he can call himself Absonus and no-one has seen past it," noticing that his daughter was not receiving his attempt at lightening the situation Ra's scowled and let out another sigh, "you're absolutely fuming, did you have a disagreement with our scientist?"

Talia turned her head sharply and screamed, "The man gassed me with his formula!"

Before Talia could raise more of a fuss and draw any attention from any passerby's, Ra's motioned to his driver to drive, "I find that it is unlikely that he had any ability to do any such thing. He is supposed to be harmless now I hear unless someone says to him the word straw."

The result of his statement only infuriated his spawn more, "Damnit! Why I was conversing with him he angered me, so I said mentioned that it was the last straw. Why the _hell_ did Strange choose a word like that to snap him out of his hypnosis?"

Ra's did his best to contain himself for he really did not want to deal with this right now, "Well maybe it has to do with our colleague Strange's flair for the dramatic. What are scarecrows often filled with Talia?" When realization struck his daughter's face Ra's nodded, "Exactly."

Extremely angry at the coincidence that led her to being struck by fear gas, Talia did her best to calm down although she was only able to get to the point where she was still seething. Now that his daughter was less volatile, Ra's continued, "When he told me that our previously devious and dangerous ally was now at our beck and call I must say I was actually quite pleased, but I did take note of the consequences Strange predicted to occur. After talking to your sister it seems that Strange is completely correct. Unless someone utters the word, Jonathan Crane will stay Jonathan Crane. This may cause his alter-ego to become more hostile towards us than it already was, but with the knowledge that it will return to being weak Jonathan Crane shortly it will not cross us. Strange even threw in an extra precaution in that the Scarecrow will not recall instances involving the word or use it himself, which in turn means he will forget meeting you tonight. Jonathan Crane will do as we say."

A voice with barely contained rage replied, "And the moment we do not need him anymore?"

Ra's understood her sentiment, "He has done well to keep his formulas to himself, extending his longevity, but I do not trust him in the slightest. He will be dealt with the instant our plans are fulfilled and we have that formula of his."

"Why can't we just get Strange to get it from Crane? Wouldn't that just simplify everything?"

"Why yes, it would, but to do that Strange would have to learn it himself and I do not wish for anyone but you and I to know the formula. I would need to kill him and that is not an option, not yet. He is useful still."

Talia huffed, releasing some of her anger as she imagined disemboweling Jonathan Crane, "When this is all over and this city is burnt to ashes, I want to be the one to give the lowlife the final blow."

The demon's head shook his head, "Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment Talia. Crane is our servant now instead of collaborator, so letting your anger rise for no reason will only hamper you in other tasks."

Talia gave her father the same monotone he used when she arrived, "Fine. So when do you plan on having my dear sister and I meeting? I know you wouldn't have brought me along for tasks as menial as the ones I have been carrying out if you didn't want me to see her."

Ra's pictured what his daughters would be like as kids in a normal household setting to raise his mood. Penelope and Talia were such children as adults, picturing them together as kids amused him. Now a little more cheerful, Ra's glanced at the daughter who sat beside him, "I was thinking sometime soon, possibly tomorrow. She loathes you as much as you do her Talia, but at least she acts mature about it."

Having arrived at their current base of operations, Talia tossed the door open and stalked off, leaving her father behind in the limousine, "Jealous and infantile…it may have been a good thing my followers raised the other one and not I. If we are to bring this world to its knees I cannot have infighting amongst our family."

Thinking again of Crane, Ra's felt any shred of amusement he felt wane, "And nor can I have my heiress gaining sympathy in a man I will dispose of."

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><p>AN: Hope you all enjoyed and expect another chapter this weekend. Anyone who wants to leave some love for me, the review button awaits all!


	48. Session 48: Poison, Venom and Sweetness

And this makes two out of three Sirens...don't know what I'm referring to? Good. You're better off that way. Now don't go look it up. No. That is time you could be spent doing better things, like hugging puppies or something of that ilk. Or even reading this and telling me how it was. That too. Puppies take precedence though. Seals override the puppy directive though. Always love seals. Yes, I am tired. What about it?

Special thanks to Bashlei for reviewing and to Bandit-sama for adding this to their alert list! Hope you all enjoy and are gracious enough to leave your thoughts on the story in a review!

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><p>While Zsasz may be the creepiest patient Penelope Young had at some point, Drury Walker the most boring, Joker the most crazy, and Harley the most annoying, Pamela Isley was by far the most judgmental, sexist, and erotomaniac of her patients. Not even the snobbish Cobblepot had a way of contending with the human hating woman who sat before Young, which was saying something given how elitist Young had found him to be during his temporary and ongoing stay at Arkham until Blackgate could house more prisoners.<p>

Not pleased to be meeting with this light green freak of nature who hated all humanity and wanted to kill it all, Young spoke with a light amount of dullness in her voice, "So Ms. Isley, what are your thoughts on the recent additions to the botanical garden?"

Isley, or as she preferred Ivy, was just as unwilling to be in the session and decided to nitpick issues like she usually did in such meetings with doctors who she could not control, "While I enjoy the company of these new plants more than any of you, I cannot but help feel sorry for them. Arkham's grounds have many nutrients for them, but the poor plants are under the care of such buffoons. Furthermore, many will not survive the harsh winter when it comes. You idiots should have planted them earlier in the year and given them time to grow."

Penelope was about to respond when her patient's eye caught sight of something and she spoke up, "Where did you get that?"

Young looked over to see what the woman was talking about, only to see that her gaze fell upon the blue flower that now saw in a flower pot in Young's room, "I have never seen a blue poppy quite like it. Is it a foreign flower?"

Young decided to humor her patient's curiosity, "My family grows them, but they are hard to cultivate and are a very rare sight. I've never seen one that wasn't on my family's property except this one here."

The way the doctor phrased that sentence piqued the plant woman's interest even more, "And how exactly did you come across this one?"

Penelope was caught off-guard by the question. If she said how she really got it to a patient as twisted as Isley than she could kiss her job goodbye and Jonathan would be on the receiving end of much torment. So, Young decided this was a white lie that was necessary, "I received it as a birthday present from a friend of mine."

As if preset to go off on a rant, Isley raised her voice in anger, "At what point did flowers become such paltry gifts? These poor flowers die and are tossed away, the initial joy of having received them often having receded."

Young held her arms out peacefully, "I've never really contemplated it from a plant's perspective, but then again I am not a plant and don't ever really need to do anything of the like.

Isley scowled, her face conveying disgust and rage in equal quantity, "You should try it. Maybe then you can understand this poor thing's tragedy. Plants cannot resist the destruction mankind reigns down upon them. They have to put up with forest clearing, which affects the entire ecosystem and thus more plants than just trees, and manmade forest fires. These atrocities are done by man without any care for how important these living beings are to this world, unlike humans."

Young tried to reason with Isley, "But not all forest fires are manmade, and not even all of the ones done by man are on purpose. I agree that the destruction of forests by greedy corporations is bad, but at the same time it is a necessary evil for the time being. Humanity needs the resources it will gain as a result of those trees deaths in order to continue functioning into the future, for the land is used for things such as livestock and this world will not be able to sustain us in the coming years."

Poison Ivy scoffed, "Then die off. Humanity is a flawed, corrupt species. It goes against nature by almost completely ignoring natural selection and allowing the most flawed and demented members of its race to procreate."

Penelope knew that continuing to reason with this patient would only lead to things getting worse, but she did not want to sit back and just listen to the woman rant either, "Again, I agree that we're flawed, but wouldn't it be better to improve the human race and make it not flawed rather than just wipe the slate clean with it?"

"The Joker."

The simple response caught Penelope off-guard, "Huh?"

Pamela's scowl grew, "Any race that could create a being such as the Joker should suffer and die, like a withering flower before being stomped beneath an uncaring heel."

"But think of inspirational people, like-"

Poison Ivy cut her doctor off rudely, "Abraham Lincoln? Assassinated. Martin Luther King Junior? Assassinated. Our own Harvey Dent? Attempted assassination leading to mental insanity. You humans have a habit of destroying your very best all on your own."

"But that is exactly why we need to improve as a species. Cities like this are corrupt and decadent, but I personally believe that if people worked towards a better world we could improve it all."

Ivy shook her head, "Impossible. Pigs like Falcone and the Penguin would never allow for such a perfect world to come about. Apathy from everyday people would get in the way as well. You and your race will bring about your own end one day."

Penelope rose an eyebrow, disliking the way she was being spoken to but also curious about her patient's disregard for humans despite being one, "Aren't you a human as well, Ms. Isley?"

In a tone befitting a drama queen, Ivy responded, "No, I have transcended a from being a simple meat bag. I am Mother Nature herself now, Gaia if you will."

Young would very quickly learn that bringing science and technicality to a fight with Poison Ivy was pointless, "But how does having chemical imbalances in your body equate to being better than others? Teenagers all having chemical imbalances as well and they aren't even close to being all perfect beings."

Giving a cheeky smile, Ivy scoffed, "Can a mere teenage girl use pheromones to control any man she desires, make him do her bidding in a demeaning fashion, and then call upon a massive vine to strangle the life out of him when she is tired of him? I think not," glaring down at her own body, Ivy's smile grew, "but then again, what man could resist someone like myself even without my powers?"

Feeling snarky and sick of putting up with her patient's attitude Penelope responded, "Well obviously most men if you have to use pheromones to get them to do your bidding."

Eager to show off her powers Ivy boasted, "Hah! I have even had the iron willed Batman at my beck and call before. If they have any taste in women then there is no doubt that they would bend to my will. The men in this very facility are no exception!"

Erotomaniac was definitely a word Penelope would use to describe this particular nutcase, "Well then, explain to me who you have doing your bidding. It would be very enlightening," as well as point out security and doctors who need to be helped she added in a mental note.

Ivy shook her head, "And reveal my secret helpers? Why of course not. I wouldn't mind telling you that I'm sure that Two-Face, Firefly, Zsasz, Riddler, and even the stone cold Scarecrow all are in love with me to some degree-"

Penelope could swear that she had not just heard what Isley had said correctly, "Hah, would you care to repeat that? You honestly believe any of them have feelings for you, even Jonathan?"

Ivy tilted her nose up in the air in a snobby fashion, like the Penguin would if he saw someone of a lower class show up at a fashionable dinner, "Why of course they do, and I don't even have to use my pheromones on them. Crane has never instigated any encounters with me and generally keeps his eyes away from my body. What more proof do you need that he secretly loves me? What piece is missing for this to make sense to your primitive mind?"

Young held out her hand and began counting on her fingers, "Well maybe the part where he gets you gifts," speaking with a slight amount of venom, meant to anger her patient even though that may not be the smartest of ideas, Penelope continued in her miffed off state, "or the piece missing where he actually notices you. You see, from what I have observed in Jonathan he almost assuredly has no interest in the opposite sex and if I'm correct, has no interest in his own. Jonathan not instigating conversation with you? Probably a result of knowing you would use your abilities to manipulate him and pull his strings, and he has a hatred for situations like that. And him not looking at you? Did you ever stop to think that he maybe just wasn't interested?"

Ivy shifted backwards as if she had just been completely offended, "How dare you insinuate that a man would not be drawn to me of all people-"

Wordplay was a bitch, and Penelope decided she could be too. Speaking sarcastically, she questioned her patient, "Wait, you're a person now? And here I thought you had transcended being like me and other humans."

Isley began thrashing in her straightjacket, not speaking but emitting sounds of anger like any animal, or specifically human, would. Penelope raised her voice and called out, "Guards! We're done here."

Seeing an opportunity to seize control of her situation, Ivy released her pheromones to take overtake the guard's willpower. Penelope laughed as she smelled the scent in the air and the guards walked in, "Isley, I arranged to have straight, female staff here for this particular meeting. Your abilities won't be affecting them or me. Have a nice time in solitary for trying to attack a doctor."

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><p>Strolling into the extreme isolation cell with a card she swiped off of the sleeping head of security, Cash, Young hummed to herself gleefully. Strange could not stop the head of security from having access, so it was the best way for her to see her patient as of this moment. She also set the security tapes to loop for a short while in the same fashion she had learned how to in order to cover up traces of her Titan project.<p>

Jonathan quickly became aware of her presence, for no one else was in the entire cell-block and any noise reverberated throughout the area.

Now standing before the cell her patient resided in, Penelope beamed at the man who was confused as to how she had gotten in, "So Jonathan, I haven't gotten to thank you yet for your gift. How did you know that the blue poppy was my favorite flower?"

This was news to Jonathan who asked confusedly, "Gift? I gave you no gift."

Young laughed, just thinking that he was pulling her leg as she held out the flower in question towards the cell's bars, "Oh quit being shy Jonathan, you had your name attached to a tag on the stem. You must have gone to some trouble to have gotten me such a rare gift and actually had it delivered to me for my birthday yesterday."

"I..." am going to kill Harley Quinn he finished in his mind. Jonathan knew that only the daft woman would do something like this, and since the flower he had shown said woman disappeared there was no doubt in Jonathan's mind where it went. After taking a moment he let out a breath and spoke, "am glad you like it. I don't think mentioning the details of how it ended up on your desk would be a good thing," he said in his normal calm demeanor, finishing it mentally with 'especially the part where an insane inmate, who I am going to have a stern talking to when I next see her, is trying to turn you into a new version of herself.'

Penelope looked at the grey floor as she spoke freely, with no forethought or self-editing, "I don't usually receive gifts, so I just wanted to tell you how thankful I am. I love this type of flower. My family grows them and I grew up caring for them. It's been awhile since I have actually had one though. However it is that you came across one, I am thankful."

Her family grows that particular flower that she ended up getting from Harley Quinn who swiped it off of him after he received it from Ra's al Ghul. And Ra's al Ghul was the only person who had the flower cultivated, one of the few people on the planet who knew exactly how to care for the plant. Jonathan did _not_ like the conclusion his mind was drawing. From some sessions he had learned briefly about how the picture of her parents in her office was of her adopted parents…and come to think of it, she did mention once or twice that she hated her sister, who would be none other than the dreadful Talia al Ghul.

Thinking of an excuse to be done with this awkward mess, Jonathan came up with a logical excuse, "You are very welcome. I do not wish to be rude, but I think people will notice if you hang around here to long. Absonus is keeping a close watch on me with his lackeys like Boles."

Young laughed weirdly. She felt just as awkward as her patient did, having come partly to decipher the meaning behind the flower and now leaving with no more clue than she had previously, "You're right. Thank you Jonathan. When your birthday comes around I'll be sure to extend you the same kindness."

"There is no need for that. It was nothing, really," Harley did it all, he added mentally, so thanking me is just pointless.

Penelope smiled, "You can be so modest when you want to be Jonathan. I like it."

Such a possible revelation chilled Jonathan to the bone. After thinking through it more, Strange only appeared after Jonathan had begun to leave an impression that he was 'getting better' on Penelope. If she mentioned her possible success to her father, who was holding Strange under his power like a marionette, he would no doubt make sure his expensive and long term investment in Jonathan would not go to waste. When Young would complain that her coworker was threatening her, he would back off for some time until Ra's could think through the matter more. During that time Penelope's opinion of Jonathan would have increased, leading Ra's to order more drastic measures to be absolutely sure nothing wrong would happen to his work. That was why he was brainwashed daily by Strange and could not remember hours of each day now, why he had powerful restraints put on his mind and how he could function.

His doctor, who he had wanted to maliciously kill originally, had too high an opinion of him than what was good for his own health. And was the daughter of his benefactor, which rose other questions in Jonathan. If she was the infamous Ra's al Ghul's daughter, then why didn't she know more about Strange and what he was doing? If she knew of her father's operations then she would have to know of Jonathan's part in them and thus know of how he had been lying to her all along.

The prospect that someone had been pulling his leg all along mildly disturbed Jonathan, but he felt reassured by the fact that his doctor was not the type to do such a thing. She may be rough, but she did not play mind games like he did. That meant that she was in the dark and that she likely only knew her father as Henri Ducard-

Fed up with the topic of his doctor's mental processing and possible heritage, Jonathan decided to move onto a new train of thought and that was how he could cross paths with Harley. That way he could warn her against any future stunts like this.

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><p>I hoped you all enjoyed it. Love it? Hate it? Want a character to appear? Gift me with a nice and wonderful review if you have anything you want to say. All feedback is greatly appreciated (except pointless flames, but I haven't come across those yet).<p>

Goodnight everybody!


	49. 49: A Lawyer, a Thief, a Genius and a TV

Sorry this is kind of late, but things have been hectic at school the past few days. And guess what guys? You get to see even more of our lovely supporting cast of Rogues now! This chapter contains 400% extra Rogues that we all know and love! I hope you enjoy them, for this chapter is actually pretty much about them.

Very special thanks to Bashlei and Jason Rulz Death for the reviews, as well as to Licoricewolf for multiple reviews! Also, from deviantart I would like to thank commandercody212 for supporting me in posting it there.

Please leave feedback as far as your opinions, ideas and especially constructful criticism go! I love hearing from you guys and it certainly does help me when I am trying to buckle down and write.

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><p>49. A Lawyer, a Thief, a Genius and a TV walk into a bar...<p>

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><p>Arkham Asylum was notorious for the weak security, corruption of its staff members, and overall inability to hold onto the highly dangerous inmates it housed for Gotham City. The everyday person on the street would use Arkham as an example of incompetence and failure, a testament to the facility's failings.<p>

It is through the flawed nature in this facility that many Rogues called home that four super criminals were able to meet with one another outside the bounds of security and restriction.

The first three members had been there briefly before the final, and only female, member arrived leisurely. A man with a horribly scarred face spoke up in an authoritative tone, "Good, now that everyone is here we can call into session our weekly escape plan meeting."

Selina Kyle scoffed, placing her hands on her jumpsuit's sides, "Make a spectacle out of it, why don't ya Harv?"

Two-Face pointed a finger at Catwoman, "Don't make us hold you in contempt Selina," turning to the other two members, or rather member and TV that represented the other, "Now, how is the planning going so far everyone? Nigma, Kyle?"

The Riddler gave his trademark grin, his arrogance ever apparent, "Well, on my end, I have found many structural and personnel weaknesses in the somewhat newly renovated and staffed Arkham. Flaws in security checks, corruption of some imbeciles and the like. I can go over them in more detail later."

Harvey Dent nodded, turning to the other escape plan collaborator, "Good, and you Selina?"

Selina spoke in a slightly annoyed tone, not used to doing this level of teamwork, "I have narrowed the list of escape routes that we can take as a group to three easy ways out, all of which coincide with Eddie's data."

Two-Face nodded again, "This is good to hear. We should be out of here soon enough, and without Batman getting in our way."

Catwoman pouted slightly, "Such a shame that we're doing this under the radar. It would almost be fun to run into Batsy. Things are always more fun with Mr. Uptight and Serious."

Nigma frowned, "The goal is to get _out_ Selina, so that is why we are trying to work this out in a way that the Bat will not catch us, at least not initially."

Selina sighed in response, personally believing that there was no point in escaping and avoiding her Batman, "Fine, fine. Where exactly are we going to have the Joker fit into this? Should he be a distraction? He certainly can't be trusted to plan with us."

The Riddler nodded to her, glad that she was on board with at least part of how things were going to go, "Precisely on both accounts. Batman sees the clown as the biggest threat out of any of us Rogues, even if he has the least capability for damage. While the clown has destructive tendencies, he only has ever had that insufferable wrench Harley and a few henchmen as compared to our growing mobs of followers."

Catwoman laughed, "Even Crane is more of a threat than Joker and all his goons put together. The mad bastard can blow up a building, but Jonathan can bring the entire city to its knees screaming."

Riddler replied yet again, cutting off Two-Face, "Speaking of which, how should we go about the Scarecrow? He doesn't seem to be in the best place mentally at the minute and would likely be more of a hindrance than any sort of help."

Selina frowned as she thought about how she brought the topic to be about the man who set Batman on fire. Crane was lucky only to have been lit on fire as a result, well, save a few claw marks and some very large scars as well, "I personally don't like him, but I admit that I feel kind of sorry for the sick bastard. Whatever it is that his new doctor Absonus, if that's his name, is doing to him is not right. He is acting like a scared child these days."

Two-Face flipped his coin, the coin coming up on the bad side, "She is right. Jonathan is in a bad place, but it is a reason we may wish to help him. He may be an ally of ours, but gaining favors is never a bad idea. Getting him out of this accursed facility may do him some real good and we're pretty sure he would be thankful."

Riddler shook his head and moved his hands expressively, "But can he trusted while he is this unstable? He is a wildcard at the moment. From what I've heard from you Harvey, he has had his Scarecrow persona repressed completely," Two-Face growled at the mention of private information in front of everyone but it did not faze Nigma, "Sorry, but it needed to be said. We would need the Scarecrow, not Jonathan Crane. It is a valid point to raise that the body residing in extreme isolation is not the Rogue we all know."

Two-Face cast his gaze down, "This is true, we cannot argue that fact. There also is the problem that Jonathan may not wish to leave. If any remnants of his Scarecrow persona remain whatsoever, he will want to kill Absonus in his own way. Furthermore, he has his own secret operations going here and to escape would be to lose that."

Selina piped back up, "He also would lose the only thing keeping him sane at the moment. Have you seen how often he has met with that old doctor of his? From what I've gathered he has actually been seeing her to get legitimately better, even seeing her after the recent Absonus fiasco. To see an Arkham doctor who you are not required to see and who is furthermore not even your own doctor, or a bribed one at that, is just unheard of. After what happened with Absonus I am pretty sure that doctor Young was the only thing keeping Johnny from going completely insane."

Riddler began to laugh lightly, "And here I thought he was nuts from being exposed to his own gas one too many times by Batman," as his laugh faded Nigma became more serious, "I see what you mean though. If we are dealing with weak, scared Jonathan Crane then it would make sense for him to seek refuge in the only person who has shown him that they truly care about him."

Two-Face furrowed his brow, "You make it sound like another Harley Quinn is going to pop up. Are they really that close?"

Edward Nigma shrugged his shoulders, "It would appear so. At first Jonathan planned to kill her, but only after first shattering her mind. You know, his usual thing. I am quite sure he does not have that goal in mind currently, especially since he changed back into the fragile schoolboy he was years ago. Our old Crane would have ignored Harley's antics from the other day or even used them to further break his doctor in some complex fashion," holding his index finger up like he was a scholar, Nigma continued, "Instead, he reacted to them in an embarrassed fashion like a sixteen-year-old would to having their sister tell their crush that they like them."

Two-Face decided that such suggestions were not helping them get any closer to freedom, but still decided to give his own opinion on the issue, "We hold the belief that he is just using her as a savior type figure who looks after him and wants to help him. Have you ever gone to a bar with the man? He doesn't acknowledge those of the opposite sex, or even his own for that matter. There is no possibility for such a man to have any interest in his doctor beyond some psychological nonsense."

It was now Selina's turn to move her brow, "I am not quite so sure Harv. Remember, this is not the same psycho that we've known for awhile."

Two-Face shook his head, "When we met him years ago he was the same way, never once disproving our belief of him being asexual."

Riddler realized that their meeting had been getting more and more off topic and thus tried to bring them to a relevant topic, "Ahem, not to get back on topic, but what should we do concerning him? Joker sent me a few envelopes that I have yet to check for traps, but one is addressed to him. I assume they have to do with the dreaded party that he is going to be holding."

Two-Face was not of two minds and agreed fully, "Well once you know about them, we will decide," turning to the silent member of the group, the one who was shown via television and who had speakers and a microphone to communicate, "Freeze, you have been awful quiet, what are your opinions on all of this concerning Crane?"

Victor Fries spoke in his dry monotone, "We would have little need for his expertise even should he be capable of helping us. The success of the four of us walking out of here is not of any question, but rather when is the vital idea."

Selina frowned due to feeling conflicted over the whole Crane issue, "I guess you're right, but would it be right to leave him here to suffer like this? I've heard him screaming a few times as I've gone past the room Absonus works in…it is messed up that one of our own goes through that and I do not even like the man."

Freeze replied slowly, "To remove him from here would do him greater harm than leaving him."

This confused Catwoman to a degree, causing the woman with a predilection for cats to tilt her head, "Why, because we would be removing him from his tormentor?"

Freeze continued on to clarify his previous statement, "Crane lives on fear. He always has, so his withdrawal into an earlier mindset has not changed that. Remove his bully, remove the only thing causing him to hate this world, and you will have effectively silenced the Scarecrow and any chance of it returning for good."

Selina continued to scowl, "So what, we leave him here and let him suffer? If we remove him from Absonus he'll get better and go back to normal, right?"

Freeze shook his head in a slow motion, "That is a possibility, but the chances are not known. And think about it, what would happen to Crane on the streets of Gotham with no protection, with no way of fighting back against thugs and those who wish to harm him? I am no expert by any means, but I believe that leaving him here is for his own good on many levels."

Two-Face tried to counter the point his icy companion made, "We could always take him in until he recovers. He has helped us out enough in the past that we see it as worthwhile to keep him around as a valuable and trusted ally."

Victor closed his eyes as he spoke, "Jonathan Crane was not a villain years ago but rather just a simple man with many issues. Just as you have your white knight side Mr. Dent, Jonathan has his scared side to him. He is as much a victim of dissociative identity disorder as you are. He would not accept your hospitality even if he needed to."

Riddler spoke with some hesitation in his voice, "So we just leave him here?"

The large Rogue on the TV replied, "Like I said previously, it would be for his own good."

Selina threw her hands up, "What do you mean by that Freeze? A little less cryptic answer would be nice."

Freeze looked down before closing his eyes again and speaking, "Have you ever experienced the feeling one gets when they feel perfectly safe, perfectly at home even though they may find themselves in a particularly dark situation? Do you know the emotion that causes this phenomena?"

Selina instantly quieted down, the emotion her fellow Rogue mentioned rising a little within her. Images and thoughts rose within her that broke her tomboyish attitude briefly. Two-Face's previously serious and businesslike face was replaced with a downtrodden one, he too realizing what Freeze spoke of. The Riddler did not understand the emotion, nor did he really care, so he just ignored it.

Selina spoke up after a moment of complete silence, "I say we speak with Crane about all of this. If he wants out, we should bring him with us. If he doesn't wish to partake, then we leave him. Does that sound reasonable?"

Two-Face nodded, still glum, "We have no objection."

Nigma agreed as well, "I personally feel some kinship with the man, so I say aye as well. Who should speak with him though?"

Two-Face began to regain composure as the topic began to revitalize, "We'll decide that later after we check out our mail more thoroughly."

Catwoman put on a fake smile as she tried to push images of a certain caped vigilante out of her mind, "Now, how about those flaws in the security Nigma?"

Riddler was glad that the brief moment of sorrow was over, especially now that he could go into his domain, "To be honest the entire system is flawed, especially the way new prisoners are greeted and brought into the facility, but that is only to be exploited upon our possible return to this place. Major deficiencies in the security currently-"

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><p>Kicking the annoying and incompetent villain Maxie Zeus over onto his back, the Scarecrow grabbed the man's neck and began to drag him out of the previously secret hideout, all the while muttering to himself about a recent revelation he had, "How can I remind myself that straw is the keyword if I cannot remember instances with the word?"<p>

He had played security tapes about a brawl he had earlier in the day, and he noticed that as soon as someone mentioned the word straw he became his Scarecrow persona. Glancing at the remains of an old costume, something attached to the old mask caught the Scarecrow's eye, "Sometimes the best solutions are the easiest ones. I think I am going to get more of the stuff, even if it seems silly. Not like I've ever really cared about that though."

He knew that he would forget all this knowledge of the straw just as he always seemed to in a matter of moments, but he now had a final solution of how to remember just exactly what was being locked up inside the head of Jonathan Crane.

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><p>AN: Sorry there was not more Jonathan and Penelope related things, but I wanted to do something different this time around. I originally had chapter 50 completely written, but I have changed so many details leading up to it that it will take some time to get through it and edit it all. I hope you guys will enjoy my chapter 50 celebration chapter!


	50. Session 50: Lurking in the Night

Sorry for the long wait, but the side story I wrote for this required 4 revisions and I decided to release both at the same time! The side story is titled "To Have a Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" and is mostly about the characters Victor Fries (Mister Freeze), Edward Nigma (Riddler), and Penelope Young _after_ Arkham Asylum. Wait, what was that I just said? After Arkham Asylum? But how can You g be alive? Oh, the wonders of AU. This story has evolved to the point that I cannot fully contain it within the canon guidelines and have decided to alter things after a certain point. Arkham Asylum and City still happen, just slightly differently in the cases of the main characters of this story. I hope this does not disappoint you all too much, but I found out a few chapters in that this has potential to go far beyond what I thought of originally.

The special thanks for this 50th chapter go to Bashlei, Black391, Yuna Honey, Me-Ladie, Jason rulz Death, PabloPaul, AceMate, LicoriceWolf, Quelara, DarknessinShadows, Rio Voltaire, Lady Ano, Cherry Ripe, Brenediction, 9aza, Seven-of-Storms and Anii for all the support you have given through your reviews. Furthermore, thanks to Bashlei, Black391, Destiny Xavier16, Fact1-I-Hate-You, forgetmenotflowers, Homunculus7SIN, licoricewolf, M. Night Wolfalona, mjlaub, Quelara, Rio Voltaire, Sango1316, Vandgard and Yuna Honey for adding it to your favorites list! And lastly, special thanks to 9aza, AceMate, Acyrotin, Bandit-sama, Bashlei, Black391, Contradiction Queen, DarknessinShadows, dragonofdarknedflame, humamoodring, Lady Ano, licoricewolf, M. Night. Wolfalona, me-ladie, mjlaub, Rio Voltaire and Sango1316 for adding it to your watch list!

I hope everyone enjoys, and happy 50th chapter and bonus side story everyone!

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><p>Jonathan had found the cure to his new condition. As long as he could see straw of any form, be it a sipping straw or that he used in earlier costumes, he could remain in his normal mindset. The problem with this was that while he remained in the mindset, he slowly lapsed out of it as his attention was not on the straw. A half hour would go by before he had to look at his straw heap laying in the corner of his new lair, this new one being necessary since an idiotic villain like Maxie Zeus had found his way into the last one.<p>

Situated at a makeshift workstation with beakers and chemicals, Jonathan was halfway in-between straw sessions when he sighed and spoke loud enough for his voice to be heard across the room. His voice was slightly exasperated since he had a lot of work to catch up on to please Ra's, but he thought it best to at least acknowledge his visitor. Not to mention the fact that his brand new lair had already been found.

"You can invite yourself in. I know you're there."

Crane continued to work at his lab table, ignoring his guest, as per usual, while he focused on pouring chemicals into beakers of varying sizes. Near the doorway stood Selina Kyle, who had opened the lock of the door and opened it as silent as a cat's footstep.

Catwoman nodded as she walked in the lair, taking mental notes about the room and its contents, "Crane."

Jonathan frowned, still not facing her, "What is it that you want, Kyle?"

Selina raised an eyebrow, "Still mad about-"

Crane, still not facing her, snapped, "You lit me on fire! Of course I am a little miffed about that! You ruined a perfectly good costume just because I made a comment about the cat and the bat, after having just lit your boyfriend on fire!"

Selina scowled at the fear obsessed man, "Well maybe you shouldn't have put me in a bad mood by lighting him on fire. You nearly killed him you know?"

Crane grunted in disbelief, "He beats the crap out of me all the time and when I finally get the drop on him, I still end up in the hospital, by another criminal no less! That isn't right!"

Selina lowered her head and let out a sigh, "Crane. You seriously said 'You need to lighten up' before setting him on fire with a _lighter_. I think you are lucky that all I did was inflict bodily harm on you for something that corny, especially after harming him."

"Whatever the case is catty, you lit me on fire as I bought everyone drinks. Couldn't you have at least let me finish my moment of triumph?"

Selina's frown grew deeper, not taking a liking to where the conversation was going, "Well, I m willing to bury the hatchet, Crane. I'm just here to find out what you know of this upcoming Party I hear about."

Crane resumed his detached composure and focused on his work again, "That? You must not have been invited I take it," grabbing something from his desk and tossing it over his shoulder to Selina, he continued, his question coming out like a statement, "or did you just torch it like other things you don t like? There's my copy."

Selina caught and opened the little envelope with a demented smiley face seal, "You haven t even opened yours? Don't you plan on ever getting out of here?"

Crane let out a long sigh, "I could escape anytime I want, such as yourself. It is not a matter of escaping. It s the matter of that accursed boyfriend of your's," hearing Catwoman start sharpening her claws, he added, "Not that there is anything wrong with a high class cat burglar such as yourself doting on a man who has sent you and those you associate with to a similarly, ahem, high class facility such as this."

Selina glared at the letter she was holding, her eyes burning a hole in it as it took Crane's place in her ire, "You have trouble letting things go, don't you Crane?" Taking a claw, she slit the paper in two before doing so again and again until it was just a bunch of small scraps, "So do you even intend on participating in this 'party'?"

Without missing a beat, Crane responded, "No."

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but she knew that Jonathan feared her after their little fire encounter. As such she pressed on, "And why would that be, my deranged colleague?"

Crane pointed to the racks of test tubes and beakers in the room, "I have enough to deal with as it is. I do not wish to take any part in this 'party'. Working is hard enough without having to take orders from the Joker."

Catwoman leaned against one of the walls in the lair and sighed deeply, "You do realize that this is probably the best chance at getting out and staying out of here? Eddie, Harvey, and I are making a break for it soon, right before this party kicks off. Fries is thinking of joining as well and has been helping us plan the break out. Batman will have to choose between tracking us down and saving the asylum."

The Scarecrow shrugged, "That's nice. Have a nice trip, see you next fall."

Selina growled lightly, "What do you mean by that? Do you think we're going to get caught again?"

Crane shook his head and wagged a finger, despite him still not facing his guest, "Not think. Know. The Batman may have a particular liking to you, but you'll end up here sooner or later. Riddler will probably be first to get caught, since he has this bad compulsion to leave clues, even ones that he doesn't mean to. Then Dent as soon as his coin lands bad side up, for his crimes are quite predictable and his large mob that is in the making will make finding him all the easier for the Bat. Then likely Fries as he will assuredly try to find a way to save his precious Nora," he said the word precious sarcastically as well as venomously, "Before resorting to crime to get the supplies he needs to help her. Then," he laughed a little bit, pointing a thumb over his shoulder, "Will come the inevitable Cat and Bat encounters we all know so well.

Selina gave a very audible sigh, "You have a serious death wish Crane. You really do. Not just with me. To be honest, you piss everyone off, but most are actually scared of you. I'll let your comment slide for the moment, but think about it, if you plan on staying here, and Joker is going to have a party," Selina used her hands to put quotation marks around party, "then you will no doubt be a part in his plan, whether you like it or not. So, are you in, or are you out?"

Crane continued to not look at his guest and let out a small laugh, "Im in of course& as IN Arkham, not in on your escape plan or whatever you re up to. I have to many experiments going on to-"

Selina furrowed her brow and spoke sarcastically as she cut him off, "And by experiments you mean dating your psychologist?" Crane turned to face her, a deep frown on his face. Selina went on, her voice taking on a bit of the playful quality it did with Batman, "Ooh, did I hit a nerve? Meow."

Crane continued to scowl, "I would have you know that I am not dating our dear doctor. I am planning a long-term project with her that may take some time, one I can already see is worki-"

Selina cut him off again, "Oh stuff it Crane. She may not have a clue, but getting coincidentally scared while you are present and being comforted is the closest thing to being romantic you could ever imagine."

Crane s mouth turned into a sly smile, "Oh, because swooning over a small lip twitch is so much better? Or how about some playful banter with extremely sexual innuendos?"

Catwoman scoffed, "You make me sound like some bimbo with no standar-"

Jonathan merely pointed at her outfit and his smile grew, angering Selina more, "Whatever Crane. Rot away in Arkham where you can only torture a select few and have limited supplies while Riddler, Two-Face, Fries and I go get rich and have a blast."

His smile dissipating, Crane spoke, "I am glad you understand. Now, if I can return to my research, I would be very appreciati-"

"I pity you Crane. You need people to help you out and you just turn them away. Two-Face and Eddie both wanted you to come along in the end, and I didn't think leaving you here with Absonus would be the right thing to do, but none of that matters if you are going to act like a recluse."

"And what of Freeze?"

"He suggested leaving you here with 'the only person he trusts' or something along those lines. Freeze can see romance a mile away Crane, and I have no doubt he was referring to your doctor. You better treat her well. She deserves it for putting any emotion into a man like you."

"You have no right to insinuate anything like that!"

"Jonathan, we all know how screwed up your life was back in the day. You rank number one among all Arkham patients for sad backstories. Don't fuck up the only relationship with the only woman who seems to see some good still in you. If any of the Jonathan Crane that Harvey talks of so fondly still remains, then maybe he can move on from this tedious lifestyle."

"Get out."

Selina had already reached the door, taunting him one last time before she left, "Oh, and don't worry. Only Eddie, Fries and I know about your little crush on our dear doctor, so you won t have to worry about word spreading. Unless of course you light _him_ on fire again or do something just as stupid. Then I'll torch your social reputation burlap-boy."

Crane tossed an empty beaker at her as her figure ducked out of the room. As it smashed on the floor Jonathan shook his head.

"I m going to take one from the damn bat on this one...she is an impossible woman."

Staring back at his chemistry table, he muttered, "Just an experiment. Just an experiment."

After a few moments of pondering, he screamed.

"What does she know about relationships! She is in love with a man who beats the crap out of her and puts her in a mental asylum! She's as bad as Harley!"

As he calmed down he said to himself lightly, "It's just an experiment."

Even as he repeated it to itself, he had a feeling lurking within him that he hadn't denied her accusations outright by mistake.

It was not often that Penelope Young received visitors to her office who were not patients, Absonus or the preaching Kellerman. As someone rapped their hand on the door and walked in, Young glanced up quickly from her formulas and raised an eyebrow.

The man who walked in, a doctor Murphy, gave a light smile as he opened the conversation, "Hey Penelope, you know that fundraiser that is coming up? Would you like to go with me as my date?"

Young was caught completely off guard, not having expected a coworker to A walk into her office unabashedly or to B ask her to be their date to a social gathering. She quickly tried to think of something, remembering what she could of the event, "I hadn't even planned on attending it to be honest. Sharp is the one who does all the publicity related things, not me."

Murphy laughed and spoke with a hint of an Irish accent, "All the doctors are expected to go though, and it is going to have big wigs like Wayne there. This is where we're going to get a lot of the funding for next year."

This changed things. If she was expected to go anyways, she could not use that as an excuse. Besides, she would look odd going alone at an event of couples. It wasn't as if she had a special someone of her own to bring with her to the event happening in the coming weeks. As it was a nighttime thing she would not be missing out on her visits to Jonathan, and she would be on track with her Titan research, something she had to keep an eye on now that Jonathan was unable to participate.

"Fine. If I have to go anyways I can't see why I shouldn't."

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><p>AN: I hope you all enjoyed our 50th chapter and that you are all looking forward to the 50 more that are coming up! I have really enjoyed writing this for you guys and I am glad so many of you have enjoyed it as well. If you want to see the side story I wrote, you can search the title or go to my profile and see it near the bottom. If you have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions, like always feel free to drop a review here! I enjoy taking ideas into account and I get back to you guys as fast as I can whenever I find I have a new email!

Happy 50th!


	51. Session 51: A Recreational Brawl

A/N: Okay, first off I am going to apologize for the long update period. I had my first AP exam last Monday and have another coming up, which is just painful on top of my normal course load and the fifty million projects I have to complete over the next couple weeks. Next, I apologize for this chapter's brevity. I could not think of more to add to it.

Also, thanks to Bashlei, Black391 and Jason rulz death for the great reviews! It really means a lot to me that you enjoyed our 50th chapter.

Since I cannot message you Jason, I will respond to you here. I like receiving ideas, but Boles raping Penelope would result in him getting fired and he _is_ in the game as a security guard.I might not be sticking 100% canon, but I am altering Young and Jonathan's pieces to the game rather than the other characters who will mostly have the same exact story/plot as in the game.

Anyways, without further delay here is the chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! If you have any thoughts, ideas, comments, questions or whatnot please drop a review or send me a message! I love responding and talking to you guys since your feedback really helps me out.

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><p>Arkham's recreational room was housing a surprising amount of inmates. An attempt at placing them in a 'normal' setting by the Warden, who must have been detached from the reality all others saw in Gotham to place such dangerous criminals in the same room. Firefly, Great White, the Mad Hatter and some thugs originally form Blackgate all were in the medical ward with Hatter receiving extensive treatment. The inkblot vigilante had broken almost all the bones in the small man's limbs after he tried having a tea party with the vigilante.<p>

There was still some brawling going on, but the guards sat back and watched, as if they had orders to just let it all happen. They recovered wounded inmates and dragged them to get fixed up, but remained otherwise passive. Amidst the swirling chaos the room had become the henchwench known as Harley Quinn sat at one of the few tables still upright. She was not being disturbed for the most part for a variety of reasons. Some thugs and lesser theme villains feared what Joker would do to them if they hurt her. Some major criminals actually liked her and did not want to harm her, although this number was few. Others simply didn't want to bother with the blonde, seeing her as nothing more than a cheerleader for Joker.

Those that did not allow her to sit peacefully were among those heading to the medical ward. The less scrupulous thugs didn't really mind what Joker would do to them as long as they first had Harley be theirs for a little while. They tended to leave with the broken backs and worse.

After knocking away another moronic brawler, Harley sat down and growled as she got back to what she had been thinking about prior to her interruption, "Stupid Murphy and his stupid lucky Irish ways! Now what am ah going ta do?"

She had been keeping an ear open for all gossip related to doctor Young, hoping that the flower she planted was beginning to bloom, but was furious to learn that someone was meddling with her plans. Here he was, some worthless doctor, asking out Young to a social gathering. While Harley was almost sure that Penelope didn't care for the man, the possibility remained that she might given the time. Furthermore if the Scarecrow learned that this impudent bastard had begun seeing _his_ doctor, there would be blood and that would _not_ help the relationship along between him and his doctor if he was suspected of murder.

Harley groaned at her own inability to do anything, "I can't kill the bastard without raising suspicion after my flower stunt the other day. Jonathan would get the heat sicne Penelope might take it as a murder of passion. Curse you Irish boy! The fact that the event is _tonight_ doesn't help me any!"

Also keen on avoiding the chaos of the room, Jonathan dived under the table Harley sat at when a chair flew by. Getting out from under the table Jonathan spoke after noticing the scowl on Harley's face, "Harley? Are you okay?"

Harley did not notice her pale compatriot who quickly dodged another thrown object and she merely grumbled under her breath about her situation. Jonathan made sure nothing would immediately be thrown at him before turning back to her and asking again, "Harley? What is the matter? I can't help you if you don't tell me."

Noticing him caused Harley to have her hair stand on end. Given that she was not being strangled he had not heard her, but she still felt awkward talking about a plan involvinf his love life while he was _right there_ for who knows how long. Crossing her arms and turning her head away Harley replied, "I don't want you to."

Jonathan rose his eyebrow, curious as to what the woman had on her mind that would occupy her so much during such a crazy event, "Does it have to do with Joker?"

Harley shook her head, "No."

"Then what could have you so mad right now?"

Harley decided that if he wouldn't stop bugging her she could at least give him an idea as to why she was frustrated, "Someone messed with mah plan and I don't know what to do about it."

Jonathan sighed, memories of her flower initiative coming to mind, "Who was it, and what 'plan'?"

Harley laughed at him as he sidestepped another thrown object, or rather a thrown fist, and elbowed the assaulter in the face. When Jonathan turned back to her the scowl was replaced with a bubbly grin that irked him, "That's top secret."

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders, deciding that this conversation was not worth it and that he would not be able to keep avoiding personal damage if he was focused on talking with her, "Well then go and sulk. I have other matters to attend to, such as surviving."

Harley laughed as he hit the ground to avoid the body that would fly past where he had been standing, "Bye Doctah Crane. Thanks for checking up on me."

Jonathan sprung to his feet and made a mad dash towards an area of relative peace, with a gun toting Two-Face scaring down the other inmates nearby him and where some took refuge. Half of the man loved chaos, but the other half who preferred order had been the one to win the coin flip. Among those hiding from the fight was the Riddler who was the only one who acknowledged Jonathan's arrival, "What were you doing talking to miss Dolt over there? Thought you had a problem with her."

Jonathan shook his head, "I've gotten over that little…event. If I continue to react badly to it then Harley will just believe that whatever it is she had going through her mind is true. Don't give any attention to the issue and she will no doubt stop."

Edward scoffed in return, "While that may be the case for an average human being, you are talking about an idiot who is obsessed with the _Joker_."

The former psychologist just sighed futilely, "True, but I might as well try."

Feeling like a particular jerk that day, Nigma decided to annoy his accomplice, "She wouldn't have been onto anything, would she Jonathan?"

A blank stare was what he got in return, "I don't follow."

The Riddler laughed, "Oh sure you do, but I see you don't want to talk about it. On to an actually important matter, Selina told me you didn't want to bust out. I respect your decision and won't try bringing you if you don't want to."

Jonathan smiled back at him, partially malicious but also genuinely, "Like you could if you wanted to. You can't threaten my family, you can't scare me, and you can't physically harm me."

Nigma rose an eyebrow, intent on disproving the man's theory, "But I could have someone bully you and reduce you to a quivering mess."

This time a scowl was the first response, replacing the jovial look from before, "Low blow Nigma."

Feeling empowered by the glare he was receiving, Riddler continued on, "And now that I think about it, I _could_ threaten your family! I mean, if I killed them you would never get the chance to do it."

Jonathan placed a hand on the narcissist's shoulder, "Edward, I don't want to harm you the next time I enter my Scarecrow mindset. Please shut up."

Realizing that the rabid dog nature of the sinister Scarecrow could actually cause some permanent harm to him, Edward backed off, "Fine, fine. You're no fun, you know that?"

In a deadpan manner Jonathan nodded and pointed towards the less peaceful parts of the room, "Yes and I am quite okay with that fact. Now get out of my personal space please."

The Riddler laughed, "Fine, I'm gone. Have my own tasks to carry out, all of which are more important that irritating you and none of which I can do while I am hiding behind Harvey in this room."

Hearing his name be said, the scarred Rogue turned behind him and stopped firing his gun for a moment, "Jonathan? We didn't notice you. How are you doing?"

Before Jonathan could reply to the split personality man he fell to the ground unconscious, twitching and writhing in pain.

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><p>AN: I hope you all enjoyed it! I admit to having a weakness in premiering the other villains recently, but it will all have a purpose down the line. Please take the moment to give me some feedback and help me write a better story for you all!

Also, any readers who have not seen "To Have a Cold Heart implies One Has a Heart" I encourage you to read it! You can find it by going to my profile and scrolling down. It is basically my official statement regarding the canon in regards to this story. It has some spoilers for the coming chapters of this so you may not want to read it if such a thing bothers you, but otherwise I recommend checking it out!


	52. Session 52: A Dance?

A/N: Okay, here is the next installment of our story! I have finals until next Wednesday so no more updates until then, my apologies, but I will be able to answer reviews and messages since I have some free time built in to keep me sane. So if you guys have any thoughts, comments, ideas or anything really feel free to drop a review or send me a message. I respond as quickly as I can and I enjoy talking with you guys, so don't feel afraid!

Have any of you played Arkham City and beat Mad Hatter? Have you heard him bawl his eyes out? No? Well, you can here! Guest starring Jervis Tetch today...although whether that is a good thing or not is to be decided.

Special thanks to Bashlei, Seven-of-Storms, Acemate and jason rulz death (twice for jason in fact) for the great reviews and their continued interests! Also special thanks to Cool22hd, Darknessqueen101, Storm-of-shadows and I'm a quitter for adding this to their favorites! Furthermore, thank you for adding to your alerts I'm a quitter. Thanks to all you 250 readers as well. You guys are all great!

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. It is a bit fluffy, but plot chapters will slam us in our future so no worries you guys!

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><p><em><strong>"Waah, waaaaaaaaaaaah, waaaaaahaahaaaaaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahaa!"<strong>_

Completely startled, Jonathan shot up from the laid down position he had been in and looked around wildly, "What is that sound? Someone kill it with fire."

Crane's eyes were blurry and his head splitting and the intense wailing that he was hearing did not help him any. After a few seconds of searching his gaze fell upon another figure that was in the same room as him, on a medical cot of sorts. Jonathan groaned at the realization that he was in the medical ward and not in his cell. He had no recollection as to how he ended up there, but he figured that the odd stinging sensation he could feel on his head might be the reason. With a glance down Jonathan noticed that he too was on a similar bed, but his was not as disheveled as his roommate's who had covers and pillows strewn across his part of the room.

The other person in the room was hiding his head under covers, but Jonathan could make out that the figure was miniscule. Before he could inspect more the piercing crying noise continued, **_"Waaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaa! Waahaahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_**

Jonathan covered his ears and yelled, "Make it stop!"

The crying continued on and on and no doctors came to stop it, so Jonathan decided to see what was causing this man to shriek so loudly. Quickly getting off his own cot and striding over to the other one, he threw the covers off the other patient only to be a bit confused. The Mad Hatter lay before him, eyes as red as they could be from crying and his voice cracking from the constant wailing, "Jervis?"

The schizophrenic man did not respond at all, instead just crying more, **_"**WWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAA**-"_**

Jonathan knew that if the madman was having an episode it would be hard to shut him up with normal means, as in threatening and physical harm, so he opted for the other route, being nice. Jonathan placed a hand on the ginger dwarf's shoulder and spoke in the least cold tone he could manage, "Jervis, what is wrong?"

The small man sat up and sniveled, "He ruined teatime. How can I meet the Queen of Hearts if I don't-"

Knowing the inane babbling that was about to come sputtering out of Hatter's mouth, Jonathan cut him off curtly and continued his 'therapy', "Who ruined teatime Jervis?"

Jervis did not seem to notice that he had been interrupted as he showed no signs of anger, instead replying to Jonathan's question once again in a befuddled tone, "A fellow whose name is as strange as why he would ruin teatime."

Jonathan cursed under his breath at the mention of Hugo Strange, or as he was known better, "Absonus?" Noticing that the mention of the insane doctor made Jervis quiver in fear, Jonathan did his best to ignore the delicious fear and instead comfort his fellow criminal, "Jervis, it's going to be okay. Absonus won't hurt you anymore."

Jervis wiped his eyes and whimpered, "I can finish my tea party?"

Crane nodded, intent on saying whatever it would take to shut the man up, "Yes Jervis. When you leave here you can finish your tea party," thinking of ways to preoccupy the diminutive man, Catwoman and the Ratcatcher came to mind, "And guess what? The Cheshire Cat has come here from Blackgate and the Dormouse is here as well. How does that sound?"

Jervis broke out in a big grin, "That sounds splendid. I can't wait-"

Cutting the man off again Jonathan asked, "Will you stop crying now?"

Tetch nodded and Jonathan sighed in relief, "Good. Sleep well Jervis."

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><p><strong><em>"Waaahaaaaaaaaaaahaah! Waaahahahahahahahahahaaa!"<em>**

Penelope placed her hands over her ears and yelled, "What the hell is that infuriating noise?"

An orderly that was passing by turned and spoke to the doctor, "That would be Jervis Tetch Doctor Young. He has been experiencing extreme depression for some time now and is under constant supervision lest he attempt suicide."

Having only met with the schizophrenic a handful of times, Young had always thought him to be way too _happy_ rather than depressed. Penelope didn't think she was an expert on him or his disorder, but was still surprised at the apparent change, "Tetch depressed? How could that crazily happy schizophrenic dwarf be depressed?"

The orderly shrugged, "Well we don't know. If we did we would be trying to help him out. For now we are just medicating him, but the sedatives we gave him recently don't seem to be working."

Young groaned as another yell rang throughout the ward,**_ "Waaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaahaaa!"_**

Young pointed to a different orderly than the one she had been speaking to and yelled, "Shut that patient up!"

The orderly quickly ran off to help the schizophrenic man, "Yes ma'am!"

Turning back to the original orderly Young remembered why she was there in the first place, "Where the hell is Jonathan?"

The orderly laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "He is in the same room as Tetch currently. The two have shown some level of companionship in the past so we thought it would be wiser to put them in the same room rather than put the hysterical Tetch with more volatile patients."

Young understood the reasoning even if she didn't particularly like the fact she would now be in the same room as that annoying crying, "Fine. Now go and tend to the other wounded. I will be here with Crane."

Right before nodding the orderly had a thought come to mind concerning that night's event, "But Dr. Young, what about the fundraiser tonight? Isn't it soon?"

Penelope replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "What's more important, the health of our patients or pleasing some idiotic blue bloods who somehow have undying faith in this facility?"

The orderly now nodded and went off to go complete their duties, "Understood. I will leave you to your work."

Penelope walked briskly towards the room she saw the second orderly go into to treat the Mad Hatter. When she got there she saw that the orderly had left already and that a heavily medicated Tetch and Jonathan lay in their respective beds. She scoffed at how the orderlies had a supposedly suicidal man with no-one looking after him despite their claims to the contrary, "Constant supervision, yeah, right. This is Arkham after all."

Jonathan shifted a little after she spoke and so she spoke quietly to test if he was asleep, "Jonathan? Are you awake?"

Jonathan replied in an exhausted tone, one arm hanging off the bed and the other gripping his head, "Barely.

Penelope walked over to his side of the room and ignored the now heavily medicated Tetch's snoring, "How have you been feeling? You were electrocuted by some loose wires from the sounds of it."

"So that's what happened…whatever. I don't care about that since I'm fine now, although my head still aches," Jonathan nodded toward his roommate, "Was that Tetch crying again?"

Pulling a chair up to his bed Penelope sat down, "Yes, yes it was. Has he been bothering you?"

Jonathan scowled but shut his eyes to block out the light in the room since it was as helpful for his headache as the wailing he had heard for the past few hours, "Of course he has. I thought when I comforted him before it would stop, but I guess his mind is too far gone for my prognosis's to be accurate."

Penelope rose an eyebrow, gears starting to turn in her mind, "You comforted him? What exactly is wrong with him?"

The mental patient decided that he did not like the possible paths this conversation could lead to but decided to go along anyways. He sat up in his bed and looked at his doctor when he responded, "Well, Tetch has been tortured by a certain doctor that both of us abhor with the reason of learning mind manipulation techniques. Can you guess why?"

The Mad Hatter was known for using powerful technology to make others bend to his will and to submit to his demented schizophrenic fantasies. Thinking about how Jonathan had been reduced to a quivering puddle that she had to nurture not all that long ago the idea did not feel out of place to her, "Oh my…no wonder Absonus was able to mess you up so badly. Going back though, I'm proud you looked after Tetch."

Jonathan felt a little cautious towards his doctor. He still remembered the embrace he received the last time he made her really proud and he did not really care for that uncomfortable and odd sensation again. Wishing to re-establish his anti-social tendencies he replied, "Would you let him wail on and on for hours if you were forced to stay in the same room as him?"

Penelope surprised him by smiling, "I suppose not. But you could have had a doctor sedate him more instead of helping him yourself, so my point still stands. Why do you hate admitting when you're being a good person?"

He responded in a deadpan manner, "Because I'm not. That isn't too complicated, is it?"

Young looked at him seriously, "Prove that the man I am talking to right now is not rehabilitated and a changed man from when he first came here."

Not even Jonathan could say that he was absolutely one hundred the same as when he came to Arkham. Instead of an angry man who wanted to kill every other being in the facility simply because they annoyed him, he now was the weak dolt who had been tormented by everyone he had ever met only that now he had a Jekyll and Hyde issue. Seeing as this was the one person he felt comfortable actually talking to about such issues Jonathan spoke, albeit with his eyes averted, "I…I am changed, but I can't say that I have reduced my evil tendencies. How would we prove that?"

Penelope placed a hand on his face and turned it gently to face her so that their eyes met, "If I gave you your fear toxin, would you use it on me?"

Jonathan took in a breath, caught completely by surprise. _He_ didn't want to use his chemical formula on her, not the state of mind he was in at the moment. He could not speak for the other side of him though, but he didn't exactly want his doctor to know of that side anyways, "No."

She let go of his face and instead placed her hand on his, "Would you use it on the staff?"

Jonathan felt his face flush a little to his own chagrin, "No."

Penelope smiled at him, "Fellow inmates?"

He mentally cursed as he thought of a dozen people he would love to torture, but did not have the courage to confront as he was at the moment. Strange and Boles were at the top of his list, with the Joker coming very close. Still flustered he responded, "No."

In a very uncharacteristic moment, Penelope laughed and surprised the calculating Jonathan, "And what about Absonus?"

Deciding that the one person he could say this to was the woman sitting beside his bed, he replied hesitantly, "…yes."

Penelope squeezed his hand and smiled, "Well then you seem perfectly fine to me," closing her eyes she sighed, "I wish you had made an untraceable version that we could use on that bastard Absonus."

Jonathan remembered that he had designed something of that ilk in his Scarecrow mindset, a special strain that he had been planning on using on Penelope one day in fact, and as a result shuddered in fear. Before Penelope could inquire what was wrong Jonathan cut her off, "Are you sure you want to go around saying things like that?"

Young's eyes darkened as she thought violent things about her fellow doctor, "He hurt you, one of my patients. If he died I would not care in the slightest."

Jonathan tried to release his hand from what had become a death grip from Penelope, her anger at Absonus coming out in the form of Jonathan's loss of circulation. His attempts were fruitless and he tried to talk as he continued to try and escape, "I am not a fan of death in particular, but to be honest his would receive a lukewarm reaction from me."

Penelope just shook her head and let out a breath, silent. Jonathan's hand still was being crushed by Penelope who was gripping it like a woman giving birth often did on most television sitcoms. He had a sinking feeling that his electrocution was not going to be the reason he would be staying in the medical ward. In an effort to make her realize her death grip Jonathan poked her hand with his free one and she instantly softened the grip, Jonathan speaking at the same time, "What time is it? And by any chance would you know how long I have been here?"

Penelope looked at the clock in the room, "It is 7PM and you've been in here for 8 hours."

Jonathan had heard some whispers concerning the upcoming social event where Arkham's administrators and doctors would be pleading for funding from their ignorant supporters so the current time confused him. He even knew that she had been going to the event with doctor Murphy because of the grapevine that was known as Arkham Asylum, "If that is the case, what are you doing here? Not only is it after normal hours, but don't you have some social event to be attending right now?"

He received a shrug in response, "Yes, yes I do."

Jonathan rose an eyebrow, "Are you going to go to it?"

A shake of the head this time, her voice plain and relaxed, "No. Why do you think I'm here?"

Jonathan twisted his lip up in a small grin, for wordplay at the expense of others pleased him and he was going to do just that, play with words, "A few ideas come to mind, for if I _knew_ why then I wouldn't have asked."

Penelope gave him a pseudo-serious look, "You ever take a break from being snarky?"

Jonathan placed his not purple hand on his chest and spoke in as much of a proper tone as he could, "Why yes I do, but I cannot entirely suppress my normal method of communicating dear doctor."

"Fine. I care about you more than following Sharp's mandates. I hate social gatherings, but I-" Penelope mentally stopped herself from ending that sentence, unsure where she had been going with it. After a brief pause she continued, "enjoy being with those I respect. That list is small if you must know."

Jonathan smirked, "Well then I will do my best to stay on it. Murphy will be angry I suppose."

Penelope scoffed, "Let him. A night with him and millionaires or a night with you and a crying schizophrenic? I would take the latter any time."

Crane looked towards the door and whispered to her, "Don't say that too loudly. You may just become another patient here if anyone catches wind of that."

She shrugged her shoulders in response, having come to a place of not caring about the rules when it came to Jonathan, "I'll only start caring if my dad hears. He probably won't be pleased that I skipped tonight's fundraiser and ignored my 'date'."

Jonathan got an idea of how to steer the conversation, "Does he want you to dance with all the young, rich bachelors?"

Penelope sighed and looked down at the floor, "Yeah, something like that. I don't care much for either dancing or rich bachelors too."

Jonathan smirked, the conversation going as he had planned, "I never have been into bachelors myself. Too successful for me. I prefer being the bread winner."

Young scrunched up her face, partially amused but also annoyed that her patient was joking at her expense, "Oh how funny Jonathan."

Again, Young had fallen into a conversational trap Jonathan had laid forth, "Well do you prefer married men then if bachelors are not your type?"

Penelope's face turned red and she groaned, "Jonathan!"

Having had his fun Jonathan held his hands up in peace, "Fine, fine. I hate dancing as well. Never understood what the attraction to it was based on."

Young decided to ignore Jonathan's previous word escapade and reply like it had not occurred at all, "Have you ever danced with someone before?"

Now Jonathan took his turn scoffing, "Do I look like the kind of man who was invited to many parties or who attended prom?"

Penelope knew the open wound she had just trampled on so she quickly apologized, "Oh, right. I'm sorry about that. I haven't danced either to be honest. I've been to a couple parties but I always have been a wallflower."

Jonathan accepted the apology but remained quiet, images of social torment flashing through his mind. Thinking of how to remedy the problem she created ended with Penelope coming up with a solution fitting of a mental asylum patient, "I just got an idea."

Her patient tilted his head in confusion, "Why am I scared at that notion?"

Penelope shot him a glare, "Oh hush. Now, let's test your motor skills. Particularly, your ability to stand up and move around."

Jonathan hesitantly edged to the end of his bed, "Where are you going with this?"

"My thinking is this. If neither of us has danced before, why not find out what's so special about it? If I first test your motor abilities after your accident we have an actual excuse to use if someone sees us close together, like you were trying to walk but needed to lean on me."

Jonathan took a moment to think. This was entirely inappropriate for them to be doing…then again…

"Well, it's not like I am going to be doing anything else tonight. Why not?"

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><p>AN: Well, I've been cranking up the romance aspect of this story in the past ten chapters haven't I? Don't worry non-romance fans, I don't intend to be quite as sappy in the coming chapters...muaahahahahahahahaha, muaahahahahahahahahaha! Got to love evil laughter. Anyways, hope you non-romance guys can stomach this hinted affection stuff for awhile longer. Plot will be incoming sometime, somewhere.

If you have any thoughts, comments, ideas, questions, or anything really just drop a review or shoot me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! I enjoy talking with readers so don't feel afraid.


	53. Session 53: Triangles Are Bad for You

A/N: Summer vacation! Yaaay! This story has come a long ways...I started it at the very end of my last summer vacation, and here we are at my next one! Wow. Thank you everyone who has stuck by this for so long, it means a lot. And you shall be rewarded! Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are update days starting next week!

Special thanks to Seven-of-Storms for the review along with eeemkaaayy for favoriting both this and the side story "To Have a Cold Heart..." and adding them to their alerts. Thank you also to all you readers out there!

Also, for those of you who like a darker Scarecrow...well, don't worry, I rated this story M for a reason. Nothing too explicit here though. This chapter actually has a bit of fluff in it at the beginning, so enjoy that while it lasts those of you who like romance.

Like always, if you have any thoughts, comments, ideas, or questions, feel free to review or send me a message! I love talking with you guys about what you think so don't be shy.

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><p>Now that they were both standing Penelope put an hand around Jonathan's back and took one of his hands in her other. She had a hard time remembering even a simple dance routine, not having had the most practice in the world, and as such her mind was totally blanking on what to do. Her partner was even more lost, who had other things distracting him.<p>

Penelope had unwittingly plastered their bodies together by putting her arm around his back. Jonathan being as thin as he was that meant she was basically hugging him with one arm while the other was holding his hand. Their proximity was driving the lanky man insane, for he did not have any experience being this close to the opposite sex in his entire life.

His doctor was still trying to think of some kind of dance to do when she realized the troubled look on his face, "Jonathan? Is something wrong?"

He knew exactly what was wrong, but felt reluctant to come right out and say it. His doctor was in her lab coat, as per usual, but it was not closed and her red shirt underneath was not the most concealing of clothing. Coupled with the fact that he was pressed right against her partially exposed cleavage, Jonathan did his best to not blush and averted his eyes to the ground to his right, mumbling, "Never been this close to someone before, excluding fights…"

Penelope smiled at him, not noticing that his eyes were barely reaching over her bosom, "Well, we'll take it easy alright? You're probably still recovering."

Jonathan prayed that she was not oblivious to what she was doing. Wearing a slightly revealing shirt, pressing right up against him, and making him feel something that he really didn't want to. More than feel though, for he thought it too in a different form.

He was going to have to hurt Catwoman. She had been right, to Jonathan's chagrin. Penelope was beautiful, to him at the very least, and he respected her and liked how well she treated him. Those, if put together, did not bode well for him and so he cursed Selina and by extension, Harley. They both put this odd idea in his head, and now it was coming true.

Shaking his head a little Jonathan responded, "Yeah. That. Recovering."

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><p>Seated in her chair in her main office, Penelope gave a light sigh as she recounted the events of the previous night, her eyes closed as she tried to remember. It had felt nice when she actually managed to remember a dance that she could do and they began. At first it was awkward, given how gawky Jonathan was and the half foot of height difference, but they managed to make it work. Jonathan had even let slip that he thought she was beautiful towards the end of their dance.<p>

That particular part made Penelope blush deeply, not because of the compliment as much as it was the person saying it. She had heard whispers and the ilk about her body before, and a few brazen men even tried hitting on her before, but she never had paid any mind to them. Those men had thought of body first, mind second. They hadn't known her personally, they just liked how she looked. Jonathan respected the mind first and body second…if he were to ever give a comment on her appearance it would only be after accepting and liking her as a person.

Sadly Penelope's recollection was rudely interrupted when another doctor stormed into her office, "Where were you last night? Did something happen?"

Penelope looked at doctor Murphy and shrugged, not really caring much about talking with him or the date she stood him up on, "One of my patients was nearly killed because of a massive brawl that broke out in the recreational center and I spent the night tending to him since the orderlies were busy with the dozens of others who were hurt too."

Murphy, who had been partially concerned and partially angry, now was more of the latter, "Wait, you didn't come to a mandatory fundraiser because you wanted to look after one of the criminally insane?"

Thinking of how she ended up spending the night, Penelope smiled as she replied, "Yes."

Murphy shook his head, his mind trying to make sense of what she had done, "What patient?"

Penelope did her best not to just say her patient's first name, as the informality would be bad to reveal, and luckily succeeded, "Jonathan Crane."

Murphy guffawed and spun a finger around the side of his head to symbolize craziness, "_That_ sicko? He's killed half the staff who have worked here during his stay!"

Penelope's face darkened now, angry at the accusation of her coworker, "That is a horrible exaggeration. Jonathan might have been a bit malevolent before, but he's certainly gotten better."

The other doctor only continued to laugh at her, "Gotten better? You _have_ to be kidding me! Even the sickest inmates fear him and for good reason! That man tortured college students who thought they were going to be taking part in a psychological study. Crane is a madman!"

Penelope pointed to the door he had hastily opened, "No-one is stopping you from leaving."

Murphy ignored her and went on, "So what happens when you're his victim? What then?"

Quickly glancing at the flower that sat in a vase in her room, Penelope said in a confident voice, "Jonathan wouldn't hurt me."

Her coworker scoffed now, "What, because you've been _nice_ to him? He'll probably do something even darker because of that!"

As Penelope spoke she did not need to convince herself of her point, not believing her coworker's accusations whatsoever, "You'd have to be crazy not to see the progress he's made. As I said, Jonathan wouldn't harm me."

Murphy pointed to himself, "Oh, and what about everyone else?"

Given the conversation she had last night Young had no problem responding in a prideful manner, "He gave me his word he wouldn't."

Murphy was getting fed up with her ignorance and yelled at her, "As if that word is worth anything! When the next dead body is found, having had a heart attack and fear toxin is pumping through the blood, look no farther than your dear patient."

Penelope narrowed her eyes and again pointed to the door, "Doctor Murphy, I do not appreciate it when you speak about my patients like that. I suggest you leave."

Now he was really angry, as he knew how badly Young hated a lot of her patients and how she detested treating them so her statement was hypocritical at the very least, "Patients? Oh, so if I insult one of your other patients, like Poison Ivy, you would object?"

Young clarified her definition of patient to absolve herself of any contradiction, "Patients are people I am trying to cure. There is no hope for the likes of Isley. There is some for Jonathan."

Completely fed up, Murphy turned and stormed out of the room, "There is no hope for you. Good luck with your madman, I give you my blessings."

Before Penelope could respond the door slammed shut. Now she sat in her office alone again but this time she felt a little confused, "Blessings?" What had he meant by that she wondered. She decided to not worry about the issue more, as Young would not accept any more invitations from that doctor Murphy, "Whatever. I'm glad I stood that bastard up to be with Jonathan."

* * *

><p>Murphy took a large drink out of his coffee mug and wiped away a dribble with his lab coat before he opened his office door. He had not gotten over the argument he had a few hours earlier with his no show date, anger radiating from his body as he went around the building. On his way into the unlit and dark office he muttered, "And to think I had scored a date with the single, genius who has a rich family. Too bad she's Harley Quinn mark two."<p>

As the doctor hit the light switch, a poor light that barely lit the room, another voice spoke, "You know, she hates it when people say she is like Harley."

Completely caught off guard, Murphy jumped when he saw that a tall man covered in burlap was between him and the door, "Wait, what the-"

The figure chortled, bowing slightly as it spoke in a mocking tone, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. How rude of me. The name's Scarecrow, and I believe you know of my good friend Jonathan."

Murphy leapt for his desk and hit an emergency button that sat on top of it. When no alarms sounded he screamed, the Scarecrow still not doing anything to stop him, "Security!"

The Scarecrow lightly closed the door and shook his head, "No-one's coming. I disabled your pathetic security system and Two-Face is good for starting riots and keeping attention on himself for a few hours, so it's just us for now. All orderlies are busy treating people in the medical ward, so many patients being there that they haven't noticed my brief disappearance. And only two psychologists are here right now, and Young won't be coming over here I do not believe, given your little argument earlier."

The inmate grabbed the much shorter man by the throat in the swift fashion and quickly tossed him to the floor. When the doctor tried to get back up he instead was pinned to the floor by the villain, who was using his long limbs as extra leverage against Murphy. Murphy struggled slightly, but found that he had little strength to fight off his attacker, "What are you doing here!"

The Scarecrow stood up and in a brutal kick smashed the man's ribs, "Oooh, nothing much. I was just listening to my bug in Penelope's office when I heard some very callous and rude remarks by a certain doctor. A certain doctor who not long before had attempted to draw Penelope's attentions away from Jonathan. You see, he takes these things very…personally."

Murphy grabbed his side in pain and gasped out, "All I did was invite her to a fundraiser!"

Scarecrow looked down at the man and sighed, "But you had intentions beyond that, if your recent mutterings are any evidence. Penelope has been an angel to Jonathan, very sweet, but he's too weak to do anything about it," with a laugh, the Rogue added, "I'm not."

To emphasize his point, the Scarecrow took his victim by the throat again and pinned him against the wall. Murphy groaned in pain, unable to resist at all at this point but still extremely agitated, "Why are you referring to Jonathan as a different person you freak!"

One arm pinning the doctor, the Scarecrow used the other to hold up two fingers, "You see, Johnny and I are of two minds. Ever wonder why I get along with Two-Face so well? Similar case you know. That, and Johnny used be drinking buddies with him," the man let out another sick laugh, "Good thing Dent can't tell that he's not the only guy with split personality disorder. Knowing him, he would either try to kill me, since there can only be one, or should I say two, with that problem in this city. Or, he would try and cure me if that damned good side comes up on the coin flip…and we can't have that, can we?"

Murphy didn't care about Two-Face at this particular moment, instead more focused on thinking of ways to live through this. Murphy's next words did not help his case though very much, "Use some mouthwash you sick bastard."

The Scarecrow smashed his captive against the wall again, his voice calmer than his actions, "Ignoring that comment, you asked why I am here right? Why _I'm_ here is to make sure you won't be interfering with dear Penelope anymore…she has this habit of obsessing over me that I find quite lovely."

The doctor had a mental lapse and laughed, "Woah, woah, woah. Your record says you're asexual, not into either sexes, so what are you-"

The Scarecrow moved his head back a little in faux insult, "Asexual? No, no, no. Repressed pervert. I don't pursue romantic relationships because of how troublesome they are, along with some bad occurrences when I was younger. But holding back is not the same thing as being asexual," clearing his throat the villain continued, "Recently certain feelings came to light while I spent last night dancing with Pen, you know, what you were going to be doing until she decided she wanted to be with me last night. I want a taste of that beautiful woman," under his mask he rose an eyebrow when he asked rhetorically, "You think she is good looking, don't you? I mean, why else would you have bragged to your friends that you were going to score with her?"

Murphy had only told a few of the other doctors that particular information and as a result panicked when he realized what must of happened, "You bugged _my _office!"

The Scarecrow nodded slowly, "Of course I did. I have bugs in every single room here. Security can't find them though…the Riddler is a good ally to have sometimes even if he is a smug bastard," his mind getting back on track, the Scarecrow added, "And by the way, whatever your plans for her last night were, they wouldn't have worked. Seeing how prudish she is in regards to men you wouldn't even have gotten a kiss out of her without drowning her in alcohol, which I also know you planned to do."

Murphy could not believe that all of his secrets and private conversations were known by this lowlife inmate, "You son of a-"

The criminally insane man cut the other man off with a cackle that continued until he spoke, "Funny thing is, I'm almost the good guy right now. Valiantly defending a woman's honor by killing off the wretch who sought to defile her. Scary thought, isn't it?"

Murphy growled, "Only so you can rape her yourself you bastard!"

The Scarecrow just went on laughing, "Was I being that obvious? Well, you caught me. But that's why I said that I was _almost _the good guy. It actually gives me a delightful feeling you know. Probably something left over from Jonathan's more gentle side. Weak boy needs to grow up."

Murphy was getting sick of the situation, knowing full well where it would lead, "Why don't you just do it already! Kill me damnit!"

"But that would be too _easy_. I want to have some _fun_. I've been off of Strange's medication for over a day now due to the electrocution accident, so my personalities are completely split but not melded together. I have to give that bastard credit, he managed to re-separate my personalities and then even managed to keep me weak. But as of this particular moment I truly am mister Hyde, rather than the 70-30 split I would say I've been having. No, no doctor Crane here. Not any more."

Murphy groaned as his face was forced against the wall lightly, Crane having readjusted his grip, "The longer you talk the closer I am to being saved!"

The Scarecrow sighed, "Do you think I didn't take that into account? That coffee you drank? Good luck with that," he began to laugh maniacally as his victim's eyes grew wide in fear and the man's voice failed him, "I killed you before you came in here. Insurance and whatnot."

Having found his voice, Murphy yelled, "WHAT!"

The Scarecrow chortled again, "Forgot to mention that, did I? You see I made this type of fear toxin that is both delayed and is untraceable. A severe pain fun to make, but it works," gesturing to the can of fear gas hanging off of his belt he continued, What I have here is a similar strain that is just untraceable All for my viewing pleasure of course, as no one will trace it back to me and I can laugh it all off."

"You bastard! You'll pay for this!"

The Scarecrow stopped laughing and just looked the man dead in the eye, "No, actually, I won't. How about I go and visit your grave and pay my respects with Pen hanging off my arm?"

The mask disallowed Murphy to completely see the eyes of his murderer but the darkness he saw instead caused him to feel complete dread, as if the fact that he had been killed earlier without knowing it was completely true because it was this monster who had done it, "Just because of a single fucking fundraiser?"

The Scarecrow waved his free hand, "I've killed over less," thinking for a moment and then laughing, the madman amended his statement, "I've killed over nothing actually."

The doctor yelled in pain as he was once again thrown to the ground and landed on his bruised ribs, rolling onto his back only to then get his bruised ribs stepped on by the Scarecrow, "Get off of me!"

The inmate ignored the man's plea, instead pressing down harder, "Do you know what your deepest fear is doctor Murphy?"

Murphy screamed in pain, "Get off!"

The Scarecrow held his index finger up in the air in a scholarly way, "Not just yet my friend. How about we start with the basics. Fear. Some say it is purely emotional, others say it is an automatic response to certain stimuli and situations-"

Murphy began to cry as he growled, "Are you going to fucking lecture to me what you're doing?"

His murderer nodded energetically, "Exactly! I used to be a professor you know. And maybe if Jonathan takes some damn medication for once I'll be one soon and for quite awhile. Pen, bless her, is trying to get me released," with another small chortle he added, "She even has looked for some job opportunities for a _reformed _criminal such as myself."

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!"

The Scarecrow leaned down and spoke in a lower voice than he had been, "Penelope. Mine, not yours. I never liked those romantic novels with a love triangle."

"She and I aren't even together! Why can't you understand that?"

The Scarecrow stood up straight again and sighed, "And I don't care. To be honest I'm doing this for fun as well. Now, where was I? Oh yes, the intricacies of fear-"

"Doyou think you'll get away with this?"

"Think? I know. I'm wearing gloves fool. They'll think a thug in here assaulted you and that you had a heart attack. The security cameras will show nothing thanks to Nigma. Now stop inturrupting! Fear is-"

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><p>AN: Love it? Hate it? Have ideas? Questions? Drop me a review or send me a message! I enjoy catering to you guys!


	54. Not Really a Session: The Two Detectives

_A/N: Well, I promised it and here it is! Chapter 54 on the actually planned day. After so many computer problems I haved decided not to take these things for granted. I hope you guys enjoy it! There is a special treat in here for you guys, multiple actually!_

_Special thanks go to Seven-of-Storms, anon, scarecrow fangirl, narutofangirl1213, and Xeno Tyrant for the great reviews! Also thanks to Xeno Tyrant and narutofangirl1213 for adding this to their alerts, and to Ozwolf for adding it to their favorites!_

_To answer anon and scarecrow fangirl, Scarebeast will not be included in this story. It is a very disliked part of the Scarecrow fanon and I cannot include it without whiplash. Furthermore it has absolutely no place in this story, given that this is Arkham Asylum and the Scarecrow does not have that ability. It would no doubt be in his records if he could attain that form. I may not be going 100% canon, but that mostly is to change the game's ending rather than character details prior to it. I am sorry! I have had the Scarebeast in mind for quite some time but not for this story...it may (hint, hint) be in a future story that just so happens to be a sequel to this story's sequel. All planned, but not written. Mind waiting? It will be in the far future (maybe, if their is enough support), but better late than never?_

_Now, I feel I need to explain something about a character in this chapter. There is a character who single-handedly got me to stop paying attention to everything Batman for MANY years. His name is Sam Bradley Junior. My reason for hating him is my own, but I would be willing to chew him out in any private messages you want to send! But the character is canon and is in fact the son of a detective character who has had comics going farther back than Superman's first appearances! So, I just wanted to tell you all that **Sam Bradley Junior is not an OC character**! He also will be here for awhile, so you may want to remember him. This all being said, he has no character to him so I will be working on that...I want to use him, but it hurts me deeply that I will be developing him._

_Lastly, if you guys have any questions, comments, ideas or thoughts I would love to hear from you! I love talking with you guys and I enjoy answering your questions as well as incorporating the ideas that I can that you guys have, even if they are only character appearances!_

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><p>In the swirling mess of combat created by Two-Face and his followers, security officer Boles found himself engaged with the ringleader of it all. Boles swung his baton wildly with one hand only for Harvey Dent to parry the blow with a baton he had taken from a defeated security guard. The parried blow was quickly retaliated with the second baton the Two-Face held, the swing coming up and striking across Bole's face. The impact made the vile man take a couple steps back before spitting out some blood.<p>

Boles yelled angrily at his opponent, "Stop struggling you ugly bastard! We both know you're just going to end up spending some time in the intensive treatment ward after this."

One of Boles' fellow guards decided to help his superior out and similarly take on Two-Face, who in return began to block both of the blows from the two men, "Oh, we know that, but we plan to bring some of your guards with us Boles."

The other security officer found it hard to fight due to his new change in appendages, with a hook where a hand used to be on one arm. This man, Cash, cursed Killer Croc as he tried to fight off Two-Face who was just reveling in the chaos he had created even if it was at someone else's request. Jonathan had done enough to help the former lawyer out in the past to earn Harvey's trust and so this 'favor' of beating guards half to death to distract the entire security force was the least he could do to repay his good ally. Especially since the distraction was so that he could kill a man who had slighted Jonathan. No-one crossed Gotham's best without having an 'accident' that would put those created by Falcone to shame.

* * *

><p>An orderly knocked on the open door of a doctor before walking in, "Doctor Murphy? You have a patient to meet-"<p>

Inside the dimly lit room was the doctor in question, but the orderly received no response. The doctor was slumped in his chair, face pointing down towards his desk in an odd way. The orderly thought that the man must be sleeping and so he walked over to him and shook the man slightly, "Doctor Murphy?"

Shaking Murphy was like moving around a rag doll, his body moving every which way with no resistance. When The orderly stopped shaking him he watched as Murphy fell forward and his face hit the desk, "Oh no. Not good."

* * *

><p>Doctor Stephan Kellerman sighed as he watched policemen enter the office he had been looking after. Once Murphy had been found dead the orderly who found him alerted the authorities and had promptly fainted. Kellerman had just arrived at the asylum when he was suddenly asked to watch after a dead body that needed to be inspected.<p>

This wasn't the first time that he had seen a fellow doctor die, but it didn't make it any easier for him. Arkham seemed to have a curse placed upon it in regard to the staff members, or as he thought more it seemed to be cursed in every regard. Unable to hold onto criminals, unable to reform them, and staff members dying regularly were just a few of Arkham's afflictions. Doctors becoming psychopaths could also be listed, with the doctor Harleen Quinzel's insanity occurring within the institution's walls and the doctor who helped the facility Jonathan Crane going insane outside the walls.

Kellerman gave a deep sigh and shook his head as he looked at the dead body of his associate. Murphy had not been his favorite man, but Kellerman did not believe that this supposed murder was deserved either. One of the policemen noticed the doctor and took out his identification as he approached him, "The name is detective Sam Bradley Junior. We'll be looking into this case."

The last name rang a bell in the mind of the elderly Kellerman, as did the face. With a dark head of hair and a well built face, Kellerman could see a striking resemblance between this man and one he knew of, "The son of Slam Bradley?" the detective nodded yes and Kellerman felt reassured. Slam Bradley was a famous detective who had caught many criminals back in his day, and if his son was anything close to him the culprit would be caught in no time, "It's good to have you here sir. Your father is an amazing detective."

Bradley nodded and decided to cut to the chase, "Due to the unusual nature of this death the police department has a special interest in it. Can you explain more to me about the situation?"

Kellerman nodded quickly, a little nervous about talking with the cops even though they were hours and hours late, "Well, we only know that he died of what seems to be a heart attack or stroke since he has no severe bruises or markings that would indicate something like strangling."

The detective nodded and looked at the body, "Have you checked his body for any sort of chemicals yet? That crazy, what was his name, uh, Crane, yeah, that's it, is known for causing his victims to have heart attacks due to his chemical compound."

Kellerman shook his head no, "Sorry, but we have not found anything of the like detective. We always check every dead inmate or staff member for Crane's fear toxin and we came back with nothing. While we were waiting we ran the tests. What took you guys anyways, if you don't mind me asking?"

Bradley frowned, "Joker was on a rampage downtown and we were containing the situation with every man we got, sort of like what you had going on here with your men from what I heard."

Kellerman looked downward, sad that the Joker had escaped all those many months ago and he hadn't been able to stop the madman, "My apologies. As I said before, we were not able to find anything that would indicate a chemical death. His bruises also appear not to be all that bad. For all we know he could have tripped and hurt himself earlier, then had a natural heart attack. But given that this is Arkham we make sure of everything in such matters, especially odd ones like this."

This got the detective to raise his eyebrows in suspicion, "Well then, do you personally this was murder?"

Kellerman sighed, "Like I said, he has some slight markings on his body, particularly his chest and back, that appeared to be fresh. Someone might have roughed him up before he died although we can't be sure yet."

"And the security cameras did nothing to reveal the culprit?"

Kellerman grunted as he recalled the security guard's report on the camera system, "Nothing at all. We believe they've been tampered."

Bradley nodded, "And fingerprints? Have you had time to check for them?"

Kellerman nodded, "None from any of our inmates."

The detective rubbed his chin, "Interesting. Now I know why this seems so puzzling. Minor bruises, but he had a heart attack or stroke that wasn't caused by Crane' s toxins most likely during a time when the security cameras were altered," another thought came to Bradley, "Where was security? Was anyone at all watching this area outside those called to quell the riot?"

Kellerman sighed, "Every available one of them was staving off a riot during the time of death. No-one was here."

Bradley nodded and placed a hand on the old doctor's back, "And that makes this seem all the more suspicious. Okay, let my men and I do our thing and we'll let you know more about what we learn."

Kellerman nodded, "Thank you sir."

* * *

><p>Jonathan was standing up in his room and stretching his gangly limbs when a low voice spoke to him, "Crane."<p>

Turning around with a big grin on his face, Jonathan spoke calmly and a little sarcastically despite the person he knew was there, "Oh, why hello Batman. It has definitely been awhile. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Batman quickly strode across the room and stared down at Crane, a tactic not as effective on Jonathan due to him only being an inch shorter than the Batman and him being immune to the fear Batman instilled in others. Jonathan knew that he still likely would become a quivering fool if any threats or physical damage were inflicted upon him due to what Strange had done, but he held his ground and stood bravely as the bat growled, "That doctor you murdered. How and why?"

Jonathan rose his eyebrows in genuine surprise, "Murder?"

The vigilante of the night did not have time to be dealing with this locked up criminal's lies, "Doctor Murphy, why did you kill him and how did you manage to do it?"

Jonathan just continued to look confused as he replied, "Wait, doctor Murphy is dead? That's news to me. When did it happen?"

Batman narrowed his eyes, not wishing to result to physical violence if not needed but still tempted to harm the monster he spoke to, "Earlier today. Now quit playing dumb, how did you manage to do it."

Jonathan could tell that the man was getting aggravated and he held his arms up in a surrendering motion to try and calm him down, "I really have no idea what you're talking about!"

Batman took another step towards Jonathan and grabbed him by the neck and lifted him into the air, "Stop lying Crane-"

Just as Jonathan began to go into shock and bullying memories flooded his mind he saw a lab coat enter the room behind the Batman, "Jonathan, I-", the voice belonged to Penelope, which instantly began to calm Jonathan down. Her voice also went from speaking jovially to being angered which also made Jonathan feel more relaxed, "Batman? What are you doing to my patient?"

The Batman glanced back at the woman and glared, angry that his interrogation was being interrupted, "He is my lead suspect for the death of doctor Murphy."

Penelope scowled and walked towards the man, "Well let him go and wait for the police to do their job, unless you want me to call them myself," Batman's eyes widened as he realized that she was going to call the cops on _him_, "I bet security would be here even faster. Now let Jonathan down, and I'll let you leave like you were never here. What right do you have to just barge in here and attack patients?"

Jonathan could not help but chuckle at the twisting face of the Batman as he was chewed out by Penelope. The detective of the night was not exactly on the greatest of terms with law enforcement except for old man Gordon and some loyal members of the group, so the best tactic one could use to drive him away was to call the police. He could not fight them without being labeled a criminal and the majority of them were willing to bring in the infamous Batman either for notoriety, payoffs from criminals or just because they believed him to be a horrible criminal.

Batman glared now at Jonathan because of the laughing and the lanky man shrugged his shoulders, "She has a point you know."

Batman tightened his grip slightly, "Well then, to prove your innocence, where were you three days ago during the riot that took place?"

Jonathan did his best to breathe as he responded, "I was receiving medical treatment here. I had been electrocuted the day before and they wanted to make sure I was fine."

The detective didn't even turn to face Young as continued to glare at Jonathan, "Is this true doctor?"

Penelope didn't know about those hours specifically, "Yes. I even helped treat him while he was there because of how overcrowded the facility was. A large fight had broken out and many patients were in need of treatment."

The Batman narrowed his eyes to the point of squinting, inspecting Jonathan deeply before his hand unclenched and the skinny man fell to the floor. The vigilante stalked past Penelope as she ran to tend to Jonathan, the large man quickly exiting the room.

Penelope knelt down and looked over her patient for any bruises, "Jonathan, are you alright?"

Jonathan blushed at how close his true doctor was to him as she looked him over but managed to stammer out, "I-I'm fine. Thank you for that. I was pretty sure I was in for a beating when I had nothing to tell him about the incident in question."

Penelope smiled at him and took one of his hands in her own, "Don't worry. We're going to be putting in new security systems soon and cameras. He won't be able to harm you."

Jonathan blushed and averted his gaze completely from his doctor, not trusting where his eyes were going to go after where they had gone during their dance, "He isn't the one I am still worried about."

The woman gave a deep sigh before wrapping both arms around Jonathan and leaning on him, her face pressing into his chest due to the disparity in their heights, "Well, I can't stop Absonus, but I'll my best to support you."

Jonathan knew that his usually pasty white skin on his face was likely bright pink and it embarrassed him to no end, "Thank you. You've done so much for me."

Penelope squeezed him tighter, "You're welcome. You're the best patient I've ever had and I enjoy helping you out. What that madman was doing to you was wrong."

Jonathan laughed at how his doctor, who thought him to be totally and completely sane, was calling the Batman bonkers, "Some say he is as crazy as the inmates here."

Penelope laughed too, closing her eyes as she continued to speak to him, "I would say crazier than that! Not only does he have as many disorders as quite a few of you, he also goes out every night and fights deadly and armed criminals with his bare hands and a gadget filled bat suit."

Jonathan awkwardly put an arm around her as well, and when she did not react he felt confident to put another. Penelope did not seem to mind, so Jonathan decided to talk on like nothing had changed, "Nigma believes that he pays for his vigilante ways by selling the stuff he takes from the criminals he faces. He would have to be Bruce Wayne to do what he does otherwise."

Penelope looked up at him and grinned, her own cheeks slightly pink at how he had embraced her as well, "Not like that playboy idiot could go out at night and fight. I doubt he could manage to tie his shoelaces without a butler, so catching smart people like yourself would be far beyond his capabilities."

Playfully he responded, "I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment."

She just laughed and held onto him more tightly, "I didn't mean it that way and you know it. By now you have to know I am your number one supporter."

Jonathan blushed a little more deeply than he was already as he thought about what to say back to her. After much mental debate he responded, "Penelope, if I may ask, why is it that you do this? You meet with me even though you've been told specifically not to by your boss, like a dedicated psychologist, you tend to me when I am hurt like a nurse, you visit me in your free time like a friend and protect me from bad people like one, and you even bring me food every day like…" his mind refused to let him finish the sentence, all of the fill in the blanks not pleasing him in the slightest. He was angry that he had even started that last part of the statement, given what was no doubt to be the result. Her finishing it.

"A mother, wife, girlfriend or lover?" When Jonathan merely nodded she giggled, "It's okay Jonathan. I'll tell you this though, I don't think of myself as your mother."

Jonathan averted his eyes again as he continued to blush. Knowing that he was having a hard time responding Penelope decided to take the responsibility from him, "Listen, you have been a great patient to me like I said, you've been constantly nice to me and you've helped me selflessly with my project. You even went to some trouble to get me my favorite flower for my birthday. Talking and being with you makes me feel happy, I enjoy seeing you every day and I have no idea what I'm saying…" Penelope blushed when she realized what she was doing. Off the cuff she had just said aloud her emotions and feelings that she had not said to anyone before, not even herself in her own mind.

Jonathan received the uncomfortable vibe Penelope was emanating and thought about what to do. His doctor had just spilled her feelings for him, revealing that they were more than doctor-patient, and that he was more than just a friend to her. That was what he knew. What he didn't know was how to respond. If he took too long he could hurt her feelings, but he didn't know on the spot what he felt towards her. He hadn't felt romantic feelings for anyone in many years and did not know exactly what they actually were like now. After everything that had happened to him since his teen years Jonathan knew little more than what hatred and fear felt like. But the positive emotions, the comfort and safety, and the odd feeling in his gut he experienced every time he was around her to some level were not things he could simply ignore. At first he believed the awkward emotions and feelings to be natural responses to actually respecting someone's thoughts and opinions. Now, when he could barely stand to look at her without blushing, Jonathan knew that his feelings had evolved to some level

Normally he planned his actions and thought out everything. For once, Jonathan decided to act without thinking and see where it took him.

On the floor of his treatment room Jonathan Crane took Penelope Young's first kiss.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Well, that happened! Yes, I've been building to this point. But the story still has 46 chapters let me remind you and chapters 90-100 will be the events of the game itself! So...things aren't done. Just remember that._

_I love you guys and I am happy that I have written enough to get this story to the point where I could write the last line of the chapter! What happened after that event will be covered next chapter, but until then you'll have to wait in suspense. Sorry!_

_If you guys have any questions, thoughts, comments or ideas I would love to hear from you guys! I really do love talking to you guys and bringing in your ideas when I can, so if you have anything you want to ask about I will do my best to do so (more details for those with accounts on this site since I can talk to you privately, but I still will answer questions at the beginning of the next chapter from anonymous viewers) and if you have an character you would like to see or some scene or event you can think of and want to suggest, go ahead! Not everything can fit in, but if you don't suggest it there isn't any chance it'll happen! So I hope to hear from you all!_

_Next chapter should be here in two days, unless my new job interning with a psychologist gets in the way. And the format will be slightly different than normal. Anyways, see you then!_


	55. Session 55: The Diary of Pen

A/N: Not very long, I know, but the different format is my reasoning. Different format you ask? Just look at the chapter title, it says all :)

I have begun to use the image system that has just been added to the site and now you can see a picture of Penelope Young as the image right above! Give some of you an idea as to what Jonathan just put his lips on.

Special thanks go to narutofangirl1213, jason rulz death, scarecrow fangirl and to Ozwolf for the great reviews! Thanks also to all you readers out there!

Jason rulz death, don't worry, Bane will be popping in...just not yet.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter! This one is pretty special, being a followup to that pretty different one last time around.

As always, if you guys have any thoughts, comments, ideas or questions feel free to leave a review or shoot me a message! I love talking with you guys and getting back to you all, so don't be afraid.

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><p>Penelope let out a long breath and closed her eyes, replaying the recent events from her night. As Jonathan flooded her mind she blushed, totally surprised about how much of a schoolgirl she was like right now. Her embarressment increased with the book that lay before her as well as the pen next to it. With slight hesitation she opened the book and took the pen into her hand.<p>

Diary,

It has been quite some time since I opened you. Longer even since I have written in you. Here is where I put down all of my little dreams and aspirations when I was younger. Secrets and things I could not say out loud found there way here when I decided to be honest with myself about things. I guess that is why I haven't felt the need to write in here anymore. In the adult world things are so much harder to talk about, everything more serious and dark. I have not been very honest with myself about emotions for awhile now.

I've spent many months meeting with a man named Jonathan Crane. At first I dreaded having another patient being added to my list, for I had enough stress to deal with between Victor Zsasz and the Joker not to mention other inmates at Arkham. During our sessions Jonathan was slightly cold and distant, emotions very hard to trace on his unchanging face and even voice. But compared to having even the less prominent criminals come in and threaten me every session? It was a nice change. He was polite, if slightly snarky at times.

Not long after I started seeing him, Jonathan saved my life from that psychopath Zsasz. He showed sympathy towards a fellow inmate who was still grieving over a lost loved one. Jonathan helped save Drury Walker from some of the more thuggish inmates. Jonathan has many positive traits and does many nice things for people, but he is modest about them. He doesn't brag that he is the smartest person in any room he has ever been in, for he is by far the greatest mind I have worked with, and he acts like his good deeds are nothing. How could one not respect that?

He has shared the horrible tales of his life with me and I've helped him realize many of his pent up emotions. I've help Jonathan when that jerk Absonus hurts him and reduces poor Jonathan to a quivering mess. I make sure he is doing okay and is healthy, whether he is in the infirmary or just isn't eating well. I even just stood up to that psycho man known as Batman to protect Jonathan. I don't think any of this has been lost on Jon. He seems to have become completely attached to me and reliant on me at times, and I believe recent events are a result of that.

He and I have become closer and closer recently. Be it the kind act of giving me my favorite flower on my birthday, dancing together, or what happened last night we have just grown exponentially closer. Jonathan kissed me. On the lips. We were in his hospital room and he was on the ground, where the Batman had dropped him, and I was by his side. We were embraced and both blushing at just how close we were. There was a kind of unfamiliar tension in the air and both of us felt awkward during the entire moment. But when he put his lips on mine my mind was just shattered as butterflies flew inside my stomach. I took a moment, but I found how I wanted to respond to his advance.

I kissed him back.

I had never kissed someone on the lips before. It was as awkward as our little embrace on that floor, but I found that all the more endearing. I could tell my Jonathan was not all that experienced either, which coupled with his past probably means I was his first kiss. So despite being awkward, it had a picturesque cuteness factor to it.

Afterwards he held onto me even more tightly and we were silent. I don't think either of us had any idea of what to do or say at that point. My mind had definitely turned off, my blood being more focused in my cheeks than my brain. The ball was in Jonathan's court so to speak as I wasn't able to do anything but bury my head deeply on his chest and hug him as tightly as he was holding me.

It took him a moment but he eventually found his voice. I was worried deeply the second he spoke that he was going to say it was a mistake, but I was a little more worried he was going to say it wasn't. I didn't know where exactly my emotions stood at that moment, so I was terrified with either route the conversation could take.

The way Jonathan chose to bring us to conversation was interesting. He didn't deny what had just happened and he did not say it was a mistake and that he didn't mean it. What he did have to say was that it was not his best idea and that he shouldn't have done it because he was an inmate and I was a doctor. This could cost me my job he said. Arkham was intolerant of doctor-patient relationships to the highest degree, beyond the normal level any institution would hold, after what happened with Harleen Quinzel. That blonde idiot had become obsessive about one of her patients and fixated on him…the reason people could possibly draw relations was not lost on me.

But I think I've sorted my feelings out more and such a thing is ludicrous. Quinzel lost her mind while treating the Joker, seeing tragedy in him and sympathizing with a madman who had no good traits. I am in love with a man who has been tormented his entire life from both family and peers, facing scorn for everything he did and does. He needs help and I believe I can do just that. Not just help getting this sane but troubled man out of this place, legally of course, but also afterwards.

That's why my response to him was that maybe it was something not appropriate, but also pointed out that when he was released that wouldn't be any excuse. I gave him the chance to reaffirm the feelings we had just shared, and he ended up taking it. He was nervous and hesitant, but that is only to be expected. He was, for likely the first time in quite some time, giving his heart to someone. And unlike his mother, his grandmother and all the people he's known during his life, I am not going to hurt it.

My poor Jonathan has felt enough sorrow for a dozen lives and I want to help him through it all. He has become my very life I now realize and I want to be with him as more than just a doctor, as our recent lip melding shows. I don't care that he is a patient at a mental institution for the criminally insane since I believe him to be perfectly sane and not at all malevolent, and I don't care what others will think about our relationship. I am already in a position of great power and authority, especially for my age, and so the slight bump of being romantically involved with a former patient shouldn't hurt me.

My father probably will not be all that happy with my recent relationship change. He wants me to be more social and to get a boyfriend, but I don't think he will take this news very well. He loves me though and I know that even if he is disappointed he will get over it because he just wants me to be happy. He may be happy about what me being in a relationship means though…I don't intend to be loose and give myself to my lover just yet, but my father will likely be attracted to the idea of getting those grandchildren he has always wanted. But that is in the far future, at least I hope so, and I really shouldn't be thinking about that kind of thing. I have only just kissed someone for the first time and to be thinking about children is a bit presumptuous. But this is Jonathan I'm talking about. He is kind to me and cares for me like so few others ever had. I have no doubt that this is going to go farther than just this.

Jonathan is being reviewed by the other doctors at Arkham for release and I am already searching for places where he can find work. As for housing, well, I think he and I are going to be working that out. I doubt he could find decent housing on his own with his record and I would be all too willing to take him in.

Whatever happens, I am happy that I kissed back. I want and need someone just like Jonathan does. We can care for each other even if few others do.

I'll inform you how it all goes sometime,

Pen

P.S. On an added note, I have stopped receiving funds from Mr. White. I suspect that he is in fact the Joker and has just been trying to get my formula to do something nefarious, so I refuse to receive funds from him. I'll see what Jonathan thinks about this situation.

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><p>AN: So don't adjust your computer, that just happened! Yes, it indeed did. I hope you guys enjoyed that revelations through diary chapter. Things will go back to 'normal' next chapter, with an obvious difference...our dear inmate and doctor will be in a relationship albeit a secret one.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next update, which will likely (likely being 90% certain) that it will be here Friday night two days from now.

If you have any thoughts, comments, ideas, or questions, please feel free to leave a review or shoot me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! I really do like talking with you guys, answering questions and discussing ideas so don't feel afraid to do so.


	56. Session 56: Bugging You

_A/N: And I bring you all a triple pun title! Two of the reasons are actually the same, but with different characters. Can any of you catch the third one? I would love to see if you all can._

_Special thanks go to Blacky391, Seven-of-storms and Jason-rulz-death for their support!_

_If you have any comments, questions, ideas or thoughts please let me know! I cannot improve without some constructful criticism, I love answering your questions, and I really do enjoy the support you all give me. So please, be it review or message, let your voice be known!_

_I hope you all enjoy! Also, **major note at the end that I hope you all check out.**_

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><p>"You're welcome."<p>

Jonathan looked up from his medical ward bed to see that Edward Nigma was standing next to him with a smug grin on his mouth, "What was that, Nigma?"

The Riddler laughed quietly and grabbed a stool to sit on. As his guest took a seat Jonathan could only think of how atrocious the security at Arkham was. After being seated the Riddler repeated, "You're welcome. Now there was two murders here, one due to your split personality's jealousy and one due to me covering up the fact you just made out with a doctor."

The idea that his brief moment of mental failure had been discovered and the major repercussions not only for him but for Penelope made Jonathan's eyes grow wide as they displayed the fear master's terror, his voice shaky and quavering, "We were found out?"

This only made Nigma laugh more, as his ploy had worked, "An orderly was muttering about doctors and patients kissing, and since Joker isn't here I thought that it was likely you. Thanks for proving me right and making that murder not pointless. I don't like blood on my hands that isn't necessary."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes and regained his composure when he realized that the man was here to simply annoy and bug him. As a result of this Jonathan decided to take Riddler down a peg and point out hypocrisy in his view, "Don't you kill people due to them being 'too stupid to live'?"

Nigma wagged his finger and exclaimed, "That is natural selection! I am thinning the gene pool of morons. I am not at fault for doing what Poison Ivy would call nature's will."

The one who had been previously trying to sleep shook his head lazily, "Not to get back on the subject or anything, but can we get back on the subject? What's to stop that other me from killing you to prevent you from speaking?"

Nigma leant back and rose his eyebrows in surprise, a lethal level of sarcasm dripping in his voice, "Awww, that would be excellent. Getting murdered by my supposed ally," Riddler reverted back to laughing, "Jonathan, I don't need to manipulate you and using the information has no real gain for me. We have worked together so I would like to think some professional courtesy is called for."

Jonathan's eyebrows moved in the opposite direction as the narcissist who he found himself talking to, "You're being awfully generous. Now are you going to extend that courtesy and leave?"

Nigma snickered and began to get up, a little disappointed he wasn't going to be annoying his fellow intelligent inmate, "Fine, fine, I'll leave you to your perverted thoughts about our doctor. I have security flaws to go investigate before they change the entire system."

Jonathan closed his eyes as Nigma moved towards the exit, "Goodbye to you too."

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><p>"That vile man and my sister are lovers now? Father will just love to hear this."<p>

* * *

><p>Ra's al Ghul sighed as his less favored daughter strode toward him with a devilish grin plastered on her face and a device in her hand, "What is it Talia? My scheme starts soon and I have to prepare for my encounter with the Detective. Which reminds me, you haven't succeeded in seducing him yet have you?"<p>

Talia scoffed as she stopped by her father and leader's side, "Not seduction, just showing him the right way."

Ra's waved his hand, not caring for the semantics she wished to delude herself with, and bluntly said, "Call it what you will, why are you wasting my time?"

Talia lifted up the electronic device in her hand and hit a button that blurted out the conversation between Nigma and Crane concerning the only al Ghul not present at the moment. After it played Talia lowered the device, "Dear Penelope just kissed your fear toxin brewer."

Ra's blinked and his mind blanked, forgetting all about his current scheme as the concept began to formulate in his mind, "What?"

The older daughter of the demon's head believed that she had begun to shape her father's opinion, making her grin grow even larger. If Ra's was angry enough he might even allow her to execute Crane like she had meant to not long before, rectifying what may become a stain on their lineage. In Talia's opinion, that included offing her now spoiled half sister but she kept that darker notion from her father, "The bugs you had planted to monitor everywhere Penelope went and everything said concerning her just picked up a conversation between Crane and his fellow inmate Nigma, where the latter tricked your mad scientist into revealing he kissed your sweet daughter."

Instead of exploding like Talia wished at Crane for touching his daughter, the mighty Ra's al Ghul just raised his brow and responded to his daughter in an annoyed tone, "And so why did you bring this to my attention?"

Talia was a little surprised that her father did not react poorly to this news and that blood was not already being spilt. In a desperate effort she tried to defend herself, but she did not get very far, "Well-"

Ra's growled lightly, angry that his own flesh and blood was trying to criticize his other flesh and blood over their chosen partner when Talia herself had made some questionable decisions in her past regarding the Dark Knight, "Did you think I would be angry at Penelope for falling for one of my most valued associates? It will just make the revealing of our operations easier. So what if he is a psychopath? He has his moral boundaries, which hurts him as a villain but gives him points as a person."

Talia scoffed and waved the device in her hands, "But father, that madman might just be using her to get at you. Especially after what you've been having Strange do to him-"

Ra's lowered his tone to a level that made his present daughter have goosebumps rise on her skin and her spine straighten, "Crane knows better than to cross me, something you should learn from him Talia. He may question some of my actions, but he definitely does not act in a rebellious manner as you seem to think he would. What would he do, hold her hostage? He could do that without bonding with her. And breaking her heart as a tool to hurt me? I couldn't care less for her heart as long as it does not inhibit my plans. Again, something you should pick up on."

Talia now realized that she was not going to win the argument at this rate and so decided to play a different card, the concerned sister, despite how much pain it caused her, "You had Strange turn Crane into the docile professor we first began to use as well as into the monster who brought fear to this city, but not both at the same time. If sweet Jonathan is kissing Penelope, imagine what the madman wants!"

Ra's did not believe that his views of this particular daughter could be lowered, but seeing her fake attempt at being a caring sibling when he knew that Talia wished to kill Penelope. His own assassins had intercepted an attempt on his dear daughter's life very recently from what appeared to be female assassins who met the descriptions of Talia's personal guard. He was willing to let the matter drop if Talia would not bring it up or do it again, but to now act like she cared for her sister was just revolting.

Ra's held an arm up to bid silence from the elder daughter, "If he harms her I would be the first to know. It seems she only has two positive outlets, one being her prized patient she now is quite possibly in a relationship with and the other being myself. If Crane does anything he will pay, it is as simple as that. He no doubt knows this as well. And you know what Talia? This speculation _all hinges on him knowing Penelope's true parentage."_

Talia gasped and took a step back as her father struck her across the face, "You really wanted to paint your sister as a harlot who was engaging in a relationship with not only one of her patients but one of my most valuable assets, didn't you? And acting like you care for her when you tried killing her the other day? Pathetic. If you want to off someone for personal gain of some kind, do it right or do not do it at all. You incompetent brat."

Talia just gaped lightly at her father as she rubbed her cheek. The dull stare that Ra's was receiving just ticked him off even more as he seethed, "And you wonder why I look for an actual heir, beyond your gender of course. Now leave me, I have better things to be doing than manage your failed subterfuge," when she failed to move at his command Ra's yelled, "What are you waiting for, get out of my sight!"

Talia lowered her hand to her side quietly before turning away and muttering, "As you say, father."

Now that she was gone Ra's decided to think more on the matter. While it was interesting that his beloved daughter apparently had an interest in his minion, it was also unsettling for Ra's. Penelope had actually been influencing Jonathan and from what he had heard Ra's could almost believe that she was truly in love with this sick man. Crane was flawed like any member of Gotham, but unlike some he decided to repay the city for his own personal tragedies with more tragedy. He was helping the city burn down and Ra's admired that in him, but at the same time he was a ticking time bomb. Penelope only knew of his lighter side that had been recreated by Strange so as to separate all his restraints from the other half of his personality, and if any incident were to happen concerning the Scarecrow her faith would be shaken in her patient he hoped.

Then another idea came to mind and Ra's smiled as it replaced that last thought. He wanted Penelope to join him one day and help his operations, and this would be a perfect gateway. With her strong emotions towards Crane, Ra's could have the poor man killed after his usefulness was over. It would be in a way that did not shatter her thoughts on her beloved patient but rather supplemented them. A martyr for the bettering of the city, followed by a period of immense emotional weakness on her part. Then Henri Ducard could reveal his true self as the head of the demon to Penelope. She would not turn away her only other emotional connection after just losing the one she loved. She would then join him willingly and Crane would also have been dealt with.

Ra's pressed a button on the phone machine on the planning table before him and spoke into it, "Strange."

Out of it came the voice of the supposed doctor Absonus, "Yes master?"

Ra's knew exactly how to kill of Jonathan Crane while still painting him as a true victim rather than just make it a random tragedy and so he decided to get things started on that, "Get the formula from Crane and then kill him. And if you can't get it soon, still kill him," with a bit of emphasis Ra's added, "Understand?"

Strange chuckled at the thought of extracting the formula from his associate, "Perfectly. I believe he is close to breaking."

"Well then you will not have failed me. Make sure it happens."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I hope you all enjoyed! If anyone is curious why I have the relationship between Ra's and Talia souring, just watch their interactions in Arkham City. Ra's **really** doesn't care about her at that point, and Arkham City is what comes after this story!_

_We are actually approaching the events of the game right now, although we're not there yet. We have a ways to go chapter wise but time wise we are closer. Not saying exactly how close though, but do know that we're getting there!_

**_Major question to you all: Sequels? Now is about the time where I need to start setting up the sequel if you all want this story to be continued after the 100th chapter, so I want to know all of your thoughts and opinions concerning that. My side story "A Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" is basically a glimpse at what the future of this series may be like, so thoughts concerning that too are valid. I want to know if I should end this story definitively or if I should set up for the next installment. I really hope to hear from as many of you as I can because I am literally gauging whether this will be a 1 story tells all, or if this will be a saga that I will dedicate a lot of time and effort into. I have many things coming up next year, including college applications, but I can find the time within my free time to still bring to you more stories and chapters if you all want. I want to finish this story and I hope you all want it as much as I do._**

_That being said, feel free to do the normal questions, ideas and comments as well. The above note was for the series at large, not specifically the chapter. See you all on Monday, AKA 3 days, for the next release!_


	57. Session 57: Vying for Power

_A/N: Not very long, I know, but I had my first day interning with a psychologist today. Yeah, you read that right. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. Again it has a different kind of feel, like the 55th chapter._

_Special thanks goes to Bashlei, Narutofangirl1213, and scarecrow fangirl for the amazing reviews! Furthermore, thanks to Nerdman3000 for adding this to their favorites and alerts!_

_Now, a couple of you heeded this call out last time but I would like to do it again for any others who didn't answer it._

_**Major question to you all: Sequels? Now is about the time where I need to start setting up the sequel if you all want this story to be continued after the 100th chapter, so I want to know all of your thoughts and opinions concerning that. My side story "A Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" is basically a glimpse at what the future of this series may be like, so thoughts concerning that too are valid. I want to know if I should end this story definitively or if I should set up for the next installment. I really hope to hear from as many of you as I can because I am literally gauging whether this will be a 1 story tells all, or if this will be a saga that I will dedicate a lot of time and effort into. I have many things coming up next year, including college applications, but I can find the time within my free time to still bring to you more stories and chapters if you all want. I want to finish this story and I hope you all want it as much as I do.**_

_Now, I hope you all enjoy! As always, please leave any comments, thoughts, ideas or questions you have in a review or send me a message with them! Enjoy!_

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><p><em>What the hell is Johnny doing? Doesn't he know where this is going to go?<em>

Maybe I don't care.

_I wasn't asking for your opinion!_

Then stop talking to me.

_Quiet! I am the one in control at this moment. Strange didn't give us enough of a dosage this time around. We coexist, but I'm in control of the body, you got it?_

No. It's my body and you are just a figment of my imagination. I'll do what I want.

_Well this figment of your imagination wants to tell you to stop flirting with your darn doctor! It's screwing with my plans._

Plans? What do you have planned?

_It doesn't concern you, but it will if you keep seeing our doctor, so stop it while you're ahead!_

No. Pen loves me and cares for me. I am not going to ruin that. When was the last someone held us lovingly that wasn't her?

_Arguably, never, but Johnny, listen to me. You're going to hurt more if you keep this up!_

We share one mind and one body. You won't do anything I wouldn't want you to.

_That's where you're wrong! My purpose is to do everything you wouldn't, my ethical maniac!_

I am going to continue being with her whether you like it or not. Just put up with it.

_Fine. Don't come crying to me later._

* * *

><p>Penelope yawned and stretched out her arms as she walked into her room. The tired doctor jumped back in surprise when she saw her half sister leaning back on the bed who promptly spoke, "So, having fun with your patient?"<p>

Young averted her eyes as she put her bag down on the floor and tried to lie, "Fun? I am not sure what you mean, sister."

Talia, or Tania as Penelope knew her, shrugged innocently, trying to play dumb and doing as good a job at it as her sister was at lying, "Well you just spend so much time with him. He must be good company."

Penelope bit her lower lip in anxiety, a nagging thought in her mind that her sister knew of the forbidden relationship she now held, "He is interesting to talk to, yes."

Talia rose an eyebrow and asked, "Mind if I meet him?"

Penelope squeaked as the thought of Jonathan meeting with her abhorrent sibling. There was no possibility that they would get along and any meeting would be a waste of time. Furthermore, Penelope didn't want to share her private time with Jonathan with her sister, "I am not that sure that you two would get along. He can be a bit snarky and-"

Talia chuckled and threw her head back, "What, you want him all to yourself?"

Penelope blushed and touched her index fingertips together in embarrassment, "No, that's not it at all. I just don't want to have two people who won't get along meet."

The evil half-sister smirked, her face completely smug, "Are you afraid he would like me more?"

Penelope turned her head away as far as it would go and continued to fidget nervously, "And why would I worry about something like that?"

Talia decided that she had gone far enough with this charade and picked up a book from the bed beside her, "Well, your diary makes it seem like you-"

Penelope nearly got whiplash by how fast she turned her head, her face as red as a tomato as she exclaimed, "You read my diary!"

"Of course I did. That's something sisters do, right?"

Penelope jumped at her bed for the diary, but Talia moved over and her sister crashed onto the bed without the book in hand. Penelope looked up at her sister and groaned at her situation, "Please don't tell Father! He can't find out."

Talia patted her sister on the back with fake affection, "My my, quite scared I see. I bet that fear obsessed man would just love it."

Penelope felt her eyes begin to water as she imagined what her horrible sister might do with this blackmail information, "Tania, please tell me you won't tell Father!"

Talia lifted her head up in the air and looked down her nose at her half sibling, "Convince me."

Penelope felt powerless, her sister holding a powerful card to play against her if she ever so wished, "What do you want?"

"If you don't want me to tell Father, you should break up with your patient. Sound fair?"

Penelope shifted quickly and sat up fully, her eyes wide and her tone angry, "I will do no such thing!"

Talia wagged her finger and made a tsking noise, "Well, I'm pretty sure that Father will find this interesting, not to mention the police…"

Penelope grabbed her sister's arm and pleased, "No, please, you had better not inform the authorities about this. I have too many experiments that they shouldn't see at Arkham that they will find if they look into me!"

Talia rose her eyebrows, "Well then, break up with the man. Simple enough?"

"…no," Penelope responded after a moment of thinking and mental debating. She really was scared that this was going to be released to the authorities but at the same time she did not want to hurt the man she loved.

The bitch sister scoffed, "What was that?"

Penelope gripped her sister's arm more tightly, staring at her half-blood as fiercely as she could manage, "I said no. I won't do it. I would rather get thrown in Arkham with Jonathan than break off the only strong emotional relationship he has ever had."

Talia ignored the tightening grip on her arm and just laughed, "Wow, he must be pretty impressive behind locked doors."

Penelope's eyebrows tilted and she exclaimed, "We're not having sex!"

Talia admitted mentally that teasing and annoying her sister was quite amusing and would make a good pastime while she was in town, "Then why risk your reputation and life for him?"

Penelope looked down again, her eyes beginning to water once again as well, "He, I, we love each other. Something I bet you don't know about."

"Don't assume," Talia snarled.

The younger sister now gave the other one the severe glare again, angrily questioning Talia, "Oh yeah, tell me about one man you've truly loved?"

"I'm not the subject here!"

Penelope pushed her sister, having given into her emotions and not at all in control of them, "Well things change! Come on, tell me!"

There was no time for Young to react when Talia's personal guard lunged at Penelope and held their katana to the doctor's throat. Penelope stopped moving, extremely confused about the situation, "What the-"

Talia was now the one giving a glare of death, but this one was aimed at her guards, "You fools! Did you really think she was any threat to me."

The assassins withdrew their weapons and bowed, "Our sincerest apologies, milady."

Penelope spoke slowly, still confused, "Milady? Who are these people and why are they calling you that?"

Talia turned to her sister, her gaze still a strong glare and her voice venomous, "They are no-one and you better remember that."

Penelope found her way out of all of this at that moment. With a small ploy in her mind she asked, "Or else what, you'll kill me? Father won't be pleased, and given his highly illegal operations I am pretty sure he would kill you in a heartbeat if you touched me."

Talia's eyes widened with the belief that her sister actually knew what she was talking about, "How do you know about that?"

Penelope laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't, but you just confirmed my suspicions. Smooth. Now, where do we go from here?"

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><p><em>AN: Hope you all enjoyed! If you have any thoughts, questions, comments or ideas feel free to leave them here in a review or shoot me a message! See you all in the next update._

_Say hello and get your questions answered with this lovely button_

_I_

_V_


	58. Session 58: My Bane

_A/N: Wooh, who ever thought being a psych assistant could be so tiring? Anyways, here all of you go._

_Special thanks go out to Bashlei and Narutofangirl1213 for the great reviews, as well as to Green889074 for adding it to their favorite and alert lists!_

_Since not many people have answered (note, less than five of you have) my callout to see who is interested in a sequel, I will repeat the following:_

_**Major question to you all: Sequels? Now is about the time where I need to start setting up the sequel if you all want this story to be continued after the 100th chapter, so I want to know all of your thoughts and opinions concerning that. My side story "A Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" is basically a glimpse at what the future of this series may be like, so thoughts concerning that too are valid. I want to know if I should end this story definitively or if I should set up for the next installment. I really hope to hear from as many of you as I can because I am literally gauging whether this will be a 1 story tells all, or if this will be a saga that I will dedicate a lot of time and effort into. I have many things coming up next year, including college applications, but I can find the time within my free time to still bring to you more stories and chapters if you all want. I want to finish this story and I hope you all want it as much as I do.**_

_Thanks to those who have reached out to me and discussed the prospect of a sequel!_

_I hope you all enjoy. 42 more to go! As always, if you have ANY thoughts, ideas, comments or questions PLEASE leave them with me. Your feeback is vital and I like helping you guys out when I can._

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><p>"Hi Jonathan. How've you been doing?"<p>

Jonathan rolled over on his cot and looked up at Penelope who stood by his cell door and was going through the process of opening it, "Lucid, given that I haven't gotten today's dosage of my medicine a la Absonus."

Penelope smiled as the new security system, which used electric fields instead of bars and doors, complied to her card and powered down, "Oh, don't worry about that. He's busy today," Young looked to Jonathan and shrugged her shoulders, her mouth doing its best to not curl up in a smug grin, "Something about someone spilling coffee all over his notes. He's worried about losing his precious research and is going to be all tied up with that until further notice. Since you've been slated to spend the day with him, no-one is going to come looking for you."

Jonathan shook his head as his doctor walked over to his bed. She was messing with a dangerous man and she didn't even seem to care. Two dangerous men if he were to count himself, at least his other half, When Penelope reached his cot she sat down on it next to him before leaning her face towards his. Invited, Jonathan kissed her on the lips and wrapped his arms around her. When they finished their reunion and pulled their lips away Jonathan sighed, knowing that what they were doing was bad and dangerous on many levels, "We're insane."

Penelope pecked him on the lips again and giggled, "Everyone's a little insane. You should know that better than most I would think."

Jonathan looked his partner in the eyes and spoke directly, "So where do you want this to go? We could get caught any day, any moment."

The response he received was not the one he expected, as Penelope just laughed and leant her head on him, "But what happens if we're not?"

Jonathan groaned at how she answered his question with a question, "That's my question!"

Penelope looked up at the tall man, her face still in close proximity to his chest but now tilted upwards. She knew it was best not to assume this blissful feeling would last forever but she knew some part of her wanted it to. As a result she responded, "Well, let's see how things go, does that sound alright?"

Jonathan nodded and kissed her on the forehead, causing her to blush deeply. Flustered, Penelope looked down and buried her head on the gaunt man's chest. The doctor sighed as a thought came to mind that she didn't like but still felt she needed to ask him, "When I get you out, are you still going to be this loving and caring?"

Jonathan looked down at the much shorter of the two of them and shook his head slowly. He was disappointed that she had just said aloud his original plan concerning her, but he was also sad that he at one point wanted to use her. He didn't want that anymore and so to make her know that, he held onto her more tightly as he responded gently, "You think this is to just convince you to get me out?"

Penelope pouted as she continued to imagine what it would be like to have Jonathan's affections for her all to be just a ruse. Jonathan rubbed her back and held her tightly as she spoke, "As much as I care about you, I do know that it is not entirely impossible that you are only using me," she thought quickly what life would be like without Jonathan, without her only friend and support, without the man she loved completely. She continued while she cried, "I don't know what I would do then. I don't think I could handle something like that."

Jonathan had never dealt with a distraught significant other and had no idea what to do despite all his psychological knowledge what to say to her, "Pen…"

His doctor and love interest was still upset at the thought. She had just had her evil half-sister reveal that their shared father was involved with something highly illegal and was an influential criminal of some kind. The idea of losing Jonathan too pushed her to the brink of crying right on his outfit, "Please tell me, what do I mean to you? It would mean the world to me Jonathan."

Jonathan lowered his forehead so that it contacted hers and he nuzzled them, "You are the only woman I've ever had real feelings for, and I am not manipulating your emotions to get myself out of this asylum."

Penelope wiped her eyes on Jonathan's chest before looking right up at him in the eye, her voice not as quaky and more confident, "I love you," Jonathan blushed now at the aloud confession and found that he could not locate his voice. Penelope decided to continue, already convinced about how he felt about her and not needing a response. A finger twirling across Jonathan's chest she asked, "So, I was thinking, after you're out of here, want to move in with me?"

Jonathan waited a beat, expecting some sort of follow-up to her statement but when none happened he guffawed, "You're serious?"

Penelope's face twisted into a pouting one again, "Why not? My place isn't the best, but after living here I shall say it would be an improvement."

To make sure Penelope didn't take his laughing the wrong way, Jonathan decided to kiss her. A much simpler response in his opinion than anything he could say. After they separated their lips Penelope, now with a grin on her face, whispered, "I'll take that as a yes."

Jonathan laughed, "First I have to get out though before we start deciding my housing situation."

Penelope shrugged, "I've been asking around, and despite everyone wanting to keep you in here but me they don't have any reasons to! Just their own biased opinions. You're getting out of here, trust me."

The former murderer rose an eyebrow, "And if I don't pass?"

"I know someone."

Her completely serious face and manner actually frightened Jonathan, "You know someone? Please tell me you wouldn't think of-"

Penelope continued to twirl her finger on his chest absentmindedly, "If there is no legal way of getting you out, I know of a few illegal ones. And on paper you'll be perfectly free too."

A quick kiss on the lips silenced whatever protest Jonathan may have been formulating, Penelope giggling as she got up, "Now, I would like to stay here and make out with you all day, but I do have a few other inmates to have meetings with."

Jonathan moved back and spoke in fake pain, "Already seeing other people? I've so hurt, crazies getting attention over me."

Penelope gave him another peck on the lips before getting up to exit, "I'll see you when I'm done with the crazies. Okay?"

Jonathan waved, a smile plastered on his face that wouldn't look out of place on the Joker, "Don't be late."

* * *

><p>Warden Sharp looked at the man in the fedora and let out a deep sigh, "So, have you found any leads detective?"<p>

Sam Bradley Junior shook his head, "None so far. I want to meet with the inmate named Jonathan Crane however. His chemical compound he killed people with while he was a menace to society had similar effects to what killed doctor Murphy."

Sharp waved his hand, "Fine, and for the record he is still a menace to society."

Bradley nodded and turned to leave the room, tipping his hat to the man in charge of Arkham and mayoral candidate, "Thank you Warden. You've got my vote."

* * *

><p>Bradley looked at Jonathan with a narrow gaze, the inmate still in his cell while Bradley stood outside of it, "So, Crane, what do you know about doctor Murphy's death?"<p>

Jonathan extended his index finger and then added his thumb, as if the genius was counting with his hands, "First the bat, and now a detective. Anyone else want to ask me if I killed the man?"

Bradley shook his head and scowled, sure that the inmate was going to give him a hard time, "I was not accusing you-"

"Out loud," Jonathan interjected.

The detective decided to continue as if he had not been interrupted by a crazy man, "-I just wanted to see if you had any information about it. Maybe an inmate said something or someone who isn't on the level let something slip about it."

Jonathan massaged his temple, his encounter with the Dark Knight running clearly through his mind and sending a shiver down his spine, "No, no-one else has told me about it. All I know is that the man is dead."

After a moment of silence, during which Bradley eyed Crane fiercely, the detective shook his head in disappointment, "You look like you're telling the truth," jabbing a finger in the direction of the inmate he added, "Now if I find that you were lying to me, you won't be passing that psych evaluation soon. The one that lets you get out. That thing requires good behavior, doesn't it?"

Jonathan nodded as the man left, his body shaking uncontrollably for a moment after the detective left extreme isolation.

* * *

><p>Penelope flicked on the light switch to her testing room and called out to the inhabitant of it, "Hey Bane, guess what? I'm shutting down the Titan program. You won't have to be tested on soon enough when the funding runs out."<p>

From all across the room the skinny and shriveled man known by many as Bane roared hoarsely, "I'll kill you Bruja!"

"You're hard to please, aren't you? I decided to stop taking money from my top contributor who turns out to be the Joker. Thinking about it though, I'm not all that sad that this program is ending. I have other things in mind right now, not to mention the horrific experiments it calls for. Shouldn't you be happy that you're not going to be going through this anymore?"

"So I can be put in a cell and kept away from my precious Venom? I will break you Bruja when I get out of here, just wait."

The doctor frowned, "I really don't want to have you and others be hurt by this program. So when I run out of the funds put towards it I'm going to make sure you all get the help you need to recover. Does that sound good?"

"I. Will. Kill. You. Bruja muerte."

Penelope wagged her finger as she approached the brute, "Now I wouldn't keep threatening me if I were you. It might just not be good for your health."

Bane coughed before letting out a weak laugh, "What could a baja bitch like you do to me that you haven't already? Starve me of Venom?" He coughed and laughed again, "Kill me? Wouldn't that be great! End the pain and constant torment of being alive and shackled! So tell me, what could you do?"

Appearing behind Penelope and causing a moment of shock to appear on the super steroid abusing hulk was a man who went by many names, but was known best as Ra's al Ghul, "No Bane, I think the better question is what I will do to you if you hurt my daughter."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I am very anxious for the upcoming chapters. Can anyone guess what I have planned for our dear characters in the story? I challenge all those who are interested to hypothesize where things are going!_

_And to get the point across, I will again do the callout:_

_**Major question to you all: Sequels? Now is about the time where I need to start setting up the sequel if you all want this story to be continued after the 100th chapter, so I want to know all of your thoughts and opinions concerning that. My side story "A Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" is basically a glimpse at what the future of this series may be like, so thoughts concerning that too are valid. I want to know if I should end this story definitively or if I should set up for the next installment. I really hope to hear from as many of you as I can because I am literally gauging whether this will be a 1 story tells all, or if this will be a saga that I will dedicate a lot of time and effort into. I have many things coming up next year, including college applications, but I can find the time within my free time to still bring to you more stories and chapters if you all want. I want to finish this story and I hope you all want it as much as I do.**_

_Sorry about the repetition, but I want to see what all of you think about the prospect._

_As always, if you have any comments, ideas, thoughts, questions or anything really, please leave a review or shoot me a message! I love answering your questions and talking with you guys about ideas. Hope to see you all at the next update!_


	59. Session 59: You're Joking Me

_A/N: Well, I think some fans of a certain green, white and red character in a purple suit will be happy. Repeat, Joker incoming, as if the title didn't give that away. He won't be alone though..._

_Oh, and for those who don't know, the actor who played Luke Skywalker in episodes 4-6 is the famous voice actor of the Joker in many animated and game appearances including Arkham Asylum and City. Wonder why I point this out? You'll see._

_Special thanks go to Narutofangirl1213, Ozwolf, Bashlei and JC for the great reviews!_

**_Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!_**

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><p>Ra's al Ghul believed himself to be a reasonable man. He treated those who deserved it with respect and he did his best to task his underlings with tasks they could accomplish. So why was it that his protégé had so horribly failed his given task?<p>

Ra's spoke in a very low tone, his disgust dripping from his voice as he spoke to the phone, "You are lucky that I have more pressing matters at hand such as the ever approaching Detective than your failures Strange or else you would be dealt with. How do you ever expect to replace me with your track record?"

Strange responded hastily over the phone, fearful that he might face his master's wrath if he didn't defend himself somehow soon, "Sir, if I may, it is your daughter who distracted me by destroying my records and it was she who had him released from Arkham-"

Ra's tried not to sound amused by how his daughter was unknowingly foiling him and humiliating his student, "So you are telling me that my dear Penelope managed to defeat you with a coffee cup and managed to manipulate factors to have the man she is in love with released from an asylum? Tell me again why she wouldn't make a better replacement than you?"

"Your daughter does not have my training, nor my abilities sir. She merely took a moment that I was busy conversing with you to destroy countless years of research-"

Ra's growled into the phone, "Rectify your mistake or redeem yourself. Otherwise consider yourself dead to me. Crane had better be producing his toxin quota or I will take it out of your hide."

Strange sullenly replied, "Yes sir."

* * *

><p>Still having eluded capture from the Batman despite being outside of Arkham for months, the Joker was not as happy as one might imagine. He had a simple plan really to conquer Gotham and bend it to his sick will and one of the key parts of it had just backed out apparently, "What do you mean that she isn't taking my money anymore?"<p>

The accountant who had informed the mad clown was quivering in his shoes as the Joker shouted at him, "Well boss, her account is locked. We can't-"

Joker grabbed the man by the collar and screamed, "Well then unlock it!"

The accountant stupidly voiced his protest, "But Joker-"

A quick flick of the wrist and Joker's free hand held a knife, retrieved from his sleeve, and a quick but larger movement later the accountant lay on the ground day with a gash across his jugular, "NO BUTTS!" Looking around the room for a moment the Joker asked as he counted the remaining henchmen, "Now, who is going to help a guy out and clean this up?"

Two of his remaining five thugs in the room ran to retrieve the body, Joker laughing sadistically as they picked it up, "Good, now, what are we going to do about our dear doctor? Ideas, my good men?"

The remaining henchmen all rose their hands and waited to be called on, having seen the incident related to the last person to speak without permission from the Joker. The madman looked at the three henchmen and pointed on one of them at random, "You, the one with the beady eyes," before the man could speak the Joker placed his hand on his chin and rubbed it with a questioning tone, "Wait, that would mean all of you. Well the fashion blind one of you, speak."

The man who he had pointed at lowered his hand and spoke, " We could hurt her family, right?"

Joker nodded and let out a single laugh, "That has a delightful sound to it, yes it does. But who is she closest to? Maybe we can have fun torturing them and force the good doctor to finish her job."

One of the other thugs spoke his mind, "I heard some rumors that she locks herself in intensive treatment with Crane, boss. Think they have a fling going on?"

Joker let out a wolf whistle before chuckling, "Old Johnny boy and Young? Well we can get a two for one special here boys! Johnny declined my gracious invitation to the party I was going to hold when Young completed the formula, but now I know just the way to make old skin and bones to join in on it!"

"How boss?"

Pointing a finger over to his pet Hyenas the Joker responded, "Walk Bud and Lou and I'll tell you my moronic underling."

* * *

><p>The way out of Arkham was dark and path twisting, but Penelope was accustomed to the drive. What she was completely new at was driving out of the facility with a passenger in the seat beside her. Keeping her eyes focused on the treacherous path before her, Penelope asked her significant other, "Well Jonathan, how does it feel to be a free man once more?"<p>

Jonathan smirked and shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner, "I wouldn't know. We're not even out of the driveway."

Penelope giggled and shook her head lightly, amused by Jonathan's tendencies, "You're impossible."

After they reached the end of the driveway and were about to join the main road Jonathan decided to say something he felt needed to be said, given his situation, "Thanks for making this happen. I could have spent the rest of my life in that accursed place."

Penelope nodded, "In another life I could see staying there until the end of my life too, but on the other side. As run down, dilapidated, and dangerous as the asylum is it has a certain allure to it."

The former inmate rose a single eyebrow and jokingly asked, "Power? Fame?"

Penelope smiled, remembering when those two things were all that was important to her, "Yeah, probably. I don't need that though, and I don't particularly want it either now."

Jonathan continued his joking tone as he asked incredulously, "What happened to power hungry, career focused doctor Young?"

Penelope kept one hand on the steering wheel and placed the other over Jonathan's hand, "I met a man that needs me."

Jonathan lifted her hand and kissed it in the manner a chivalrous manner, his lips meeting her knuckles, "I think I like you more this way Penelope."

The driver did her best to focus solely on that and not on her lover's kiss, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I like being nicer. It's nice having someone to be with who cherishes me for who I am."

Jonathan placed her hand down but kept a hold of it, "This isn't exactly something I'm used to either."

"You're going to be the first person I have shared a home with since my roommate in college," Penelope shuddered a little at the thought of the mentally deficient woman who she had shared a habitat with for some time and barely tolerated. After pushing the poor living partner out of her mind Penelope had a certain issue come to mind-the sleeping arrangement, "Will the couch be fine for you? I don't have two beds."

Jonathan rose his eyebrow again and responded in a tone much less serious than he usually was, faking that he was hurt by her statement, "The couch? I'm starting on the couch? Did I do something wrong? I thought you loved me."

Penelope giggled again at his antics, remembering why she loved this man, but she still held her ground, "Jonathan, we only just 'got together'. Surely being on the couch until we have a little more trust between us will be fine."

Jonathan dropped the fake hurt act and lazily responded, "A couch certainly will feel better than my old cot. An upgrade I guess."

Penelope smiled at him briefly, the car having hit a traffic light, "And since you're out of Arkham that bastard Absonus can't drug you. You're going to be perfectly normal soon!"

The split personality man did his best to repress a shiver. He knew he was deluding himself if he was trying to believe that this would last. Penelope may not have been privy to his current two minded nature, but the fact that he had a psychopathic personality wasn't even his worst issue. The fact that without Strange manipulating his mind he might go back to having one personality was what worried him. Instead of being psychopathic occasionally, it would become a part of his natural self like it was when he first met Penelope. Jonathan took a moment to reply, his worry reaching high levels, "Yes, normal…"

Penelope didn't pick up on her partner's spike of stress, and so she unknowingly added to it with her next statement, "So, my father is in town and I was thinking that I would like to have you meet him."

Jonathan had no recollection of a time when his eyes had ever been wider, "Wait, I'm meeting the family already?"

Penelope could sense the apprehension in Jonathan's voice but decided to reason with him, "Why avoid it? My family is going to find out at some point. We should wait a few days though, to make it seem like us," she pointed at him and then herself, "happened after you were released."

Jonathan slumped in his seat, a motion that Penelope caught from the edge of her vision, "What, are you scared? I thought you were the master of fear, Jonathan."

Jonathan crossed his arms, "Of other people's, not my own if I am to be perfectly honest," deciding that Penelope had a point in that such a meeting was inevitable he conceded, "What is your father like?"

"My father is a businessman and a world traveler," Penelope started. She tried her best to describe her real father to Jonathan when a fact struck her, "He's pretty tall, taller than you even, and can look menacing at times, but he is extremely caring and nice to me. As long as you stay on my good side I think he'll let you be."

He nodded and asked another question to prepare himself to the future confrontation, "I know you have an adopted family, where you received the last name Young, so what is your father's name? I wouldn't want to address him incorrectly."

"His name is Henri Ducard. You heard of him before?"

Jonathan Crane, the sinister Scarecrow who terrorized Gotham city known for his capable mental abilities, faced the human equivalent of a blue screen of death. Penelope could not see his shocked yet blank face as Jonathan quickly beat his new record for the widest eyes he had ever had, "Henri Ducard? Ra's al Ghul, Henri Ducard?"

Penelope, confused, asked her lover to clarify, "Ra's al Ghul? Isn't that the anarchist who fights the Batman? What does he have to do with my father?"

"If what you're saying is true, that Henri Ducard is your father," Jonathan breathed in and out deeply before finishing, "then Ra's al Ghul _is _your father."

Penelope blinked, her mind connecting certain dots within her life easily now that everything had fallen into place, "And now the reason why my half-sister has ninja assassins and my father's underworld dealings makes sense. And why Bane instantly stopped threatening me when my father gave me a surprise visit to see how I was doing. My father even threatened the man. I just assumed that it was a result of my father's underworld dealings. Funny."

Jonathan was beyond astonished by her lack of a reaction to _her father being a global terrorist_. He found the idea slightly explained by how she was a bit of a mad scientist, not unlike himself, and was in love with a former inmate at the asylum she worked at, but that still did not write off the reaction, "Funny? That's it? That's all your reaction is? Ra's al Ghul was the one who started my fear gas project! He was the one who funded everything I did!"

Penelope giggled, "Well if that's true we don't even have to introduce you two. And you know, me knowing my bitch of a sister, father already knows about you and I are together. Well that problem is solved!"

"Your sister would not be named Talia, would she?" Jonathan asked, disdain in his voice as he realized he was romantically involved with the devil woman's sister.

Penelope shrugged, "She goes by Tania, but does she have sandy hair, a bad accent and act mean? Yes."

Jonathan nodded to the driver, "That's her. She tried killing me while I was in Arkham."

They had hit a road with an accident on it, something about a man with a slit throat getting thrown out of a building and crashing into a car that then caused an accident. The traffic was moving at a snail's pace and so Penelope was able to turn to face Jonathan with a face full of anger which to his fortune was not directed at him, "Wait, when was this?"

Realizing that he had maybe said too much, Jonathan decided to just finish revealing all the information as Penelope was sure enough going to either force him or her sister to spill the beans and he wanted his side of the story to be the one Penelope received, "Not long after I gave you the flower. Seemed like she wanted to get my fear toxin formula."

Given the threatening ninjas that had nearly killed her when she laid a hand on her sister, Penelope found a hole in the situation that needed solving, "How did you stop her?"

Mumbling, Jonathan replied hesitantly, "As a last resort measure I hid a light amount of fear toxin in my cell, for self-defense of course," he grinned as thoughts of her anger and fear flooded his mind, "She didn't like it very much."

Penelope tilted her head back and let out a cackle that would not have been misplaced on the Joker, "Hah! I would have paid good money to see that!"

Jonathan did not know what scared him more, the laughing or the fact that his lover was enjoying the fact that he had gassed her sister with a possibly deadly toxin, "You're not mad I gassed your sister?"

Penelope continued to laugh as she responded, "Mad? I want to kiss you for it! She torments me endlessly and treats me like dirt. It is about time she got put in her place."

With absolutely no idea as to how to respond to that, Jonathan let the conversation die. Penelope finally managed to get the car to move a little once ambulances started to peel out at top speed and make room for more cars to get by, giving Jonathan an opportunity to change the subject, "Traffic isn't the best today."

Penelope nodded, "That it is. So what do you want to do once we get there?"

"Well I would like to get settled in first," Jonathan said matter-of-factly before changing his tone to a more desperate one, "After that I have no clue what we should do. What do couples living together do?"

"Well," Penelope tried to call to mind what people who were courting might do with some minor difficulty given her own lack of caring for such things up until recently, "the less promiscuous couples may go out to dinner, see a movie, or relax with each other at home. Again, I'm as new to this as you are."

Squeezing her significant other's hand she added, "I love you Jonathan."

The man had no instant reply, his face growing red as he tried to formulate a response, "I-I…"

Penelope clenched his hand tightly but not angrily, reassuring him as to her feelings towards him, "It's alright if you have a hard time admitting it. When was the last time someone who you had an emotional attachment to actually fulfilled your emotional needs?"

Jonathan looked down at their intermingled hands and finally found his voice, "Thank you for everything Penelope."

"You're welcome Jonathan."

* * *

><p>"-traffic there is currently being held up because of a man with a slit jugular being thrown out of a nearby building and causing a major accident involving eight cars."<p>

The Joker did a face palm as he listened to the news before turning to his five henchmen and yelled, "You threw him out of a window? What do I pay you people for? Didn't you think that would be a little suspicious?"

One rose their hand nervously, "You don't pay us-"

Joker withdrew a pistol and shot the man, "Don't correct me!" Turning to the others he ordered, "Now get rid of this idiot up _and don't throw him out of a window_,_ you dolts!_" Looking around wildly the madman added, "And where is my Luke Skywalker action figure!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: I hope you all enjoyed! Now did the Luke Skywalker fact make sense?_

_If you have any thoughts, comments, ideas or questions I would **love** to hear from you all!_

**_Button of love and happiness_**

**_l_**

**_V_**


	60. Session 60: What Could Be

**_A/N: Did I just write this? Yeah, I just wrote this and I can't believe myself._**

**_60% of the way there folks! 3/5ths done! I can't believe it, can you?_**

**_Special thanks go to Bashlei, Seven-of-Storms, Cool22hd, and scarecrow fangirl! Thanks also to Cool22hd for adding this story to their alert list and me to their alert list and favorites list! It really means a lot that you guys are so supportive._**

**_Now, I am still looking or interest in a sequel to this tale. I have received some great support from certain fans, but I really want to know what those of you who haven't reached out think about the concept. I really hope I can hear more opinions on the subject!_**

**_Now, this chapter is the official end of arc 2 and the bridge into arc 3 of the story. Things will be changing a bit and I hope you all still enjoy the story once the mood switches a bit._**

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

* * *

><p>Yawning quietly, Penelope stretched her arms and legs out while she lay on her bed. After spending a few minutes lazily resting both her body and mind the doctor slowly brought her legs around to the side of the bed, her feet soon gently gracing the floor with their presence. Penelope was feeling particularly relaxed that morning given what day it was. For the first time since she graduated college, Penelope Young was taking a day off from any work whatsoever. No patients, no interviews, no experiments and most importantly, no Arkham. Before work always took precedence over her personal joys, even working on the days she spent with her father to some level. This day was different in that Penelope wanted to celebrate Jonathan's release into her custody that day, an actual kind of celebration with him rather than the personal and private celebration she held alone after they got home the night before. Her cheeks red about how exactly she celebrated and her mind thankful that Jonathan was too tired to hear his name the night before, Young finished pulling herself up out of her bed and went to the bathroom.<p>

Not needing to remove any clothes, Penelope took a quick shower and freshened herself for her vacation day. Exiting it, she found the clean clothes she had preemptively placed in the bathroom the night before and pulled them on. A red shirt with long sleeves that exposed a generous amount of her cleavage, something she wasn't usually fond of but given the upcoming celebration she didn't mind, and brown khakis were what she dressed in exclusively. She thought it would make any possible, albeit unplanned, _personal relations_ to go more smoothly.

Combing the knots out of her hair first, Penelope then pulled her dark brown tresses into a long ponytail. Now at least decent and ready for her day, Penelope brushed her teeth twice before getting out her pills for the day. Retrieving multiple vitamin pills, _the_ pill, and pills of other kinds, Penelope put them all aside as she filled a cup by the sink with water. Filling her mouth with the water, she popped a pill in before swallowing it for every pill she had.

Her stomach slightly nauseous from taking the pills on an empty stomach, Penelope decided it was time to get some breakfast started for her and Jonathan. Leaving the bathroom and heading out into her living room Penelope giggled as she saw how her boyfriend was positioned. Jonathan lay on the couch like they planned, but he had his legs had somehow ended up hanging on the back rest and his lanky body dangled over the side. Penelope decided that even if he didn't ask for one that she would give him a massage to make his back feel better after sleeping so awkwardly.

Jonathan was completely out cold, having slept fully for the first time in countless years, and the way he lay on the couch awkwardly brought a smile to Penelope's face. Sitting down on the couch next to him, Penelope tapped his chest lightly. Jonathan slightly stirred but otherwise had no reaction, so Penelope tried again. She knew of a way to get him up for sure and was debating about trying it next when Jonathan shook himself awake, looking around wildly as he tried to figure out what was going on. After a moment of looking around the lanky man realized he was upside down and so he yanked his upper body onto the couch and lowered his legs onto it, the two long appendages ending up one on each side of Penelope.

Smiling at Jonathan as he continued to readjust himself, Penelope leant towards his face and gave him a peck on the mouth, "So, how was the couch, dearest?"

Jonathan kissed her back, "Worth it for this. How did you manage to convince those dolts to let me into your care anyways?"

Penelope leant fully on him now, the two upright on the couch now that Jonathan was fully upright, "The person who would take you in would have to be willing, and other than doctor Bartholomew you had no takers. And nice, old Bartholomew thought that I would be better suited to take care of you."

Jonathan pulled his face away from her mouth to speak, his former doctor still wanting to make out and pouting slightly as he pulled back, "Other than you he was the only doctor I could stand there."

Penelope pressed her lips against his again, positioning herself differently on the couch. Her legs were now around Jonathan's waist rather than the other way around. After their lips separated again and they caught their breath Penelope whispered, "I don't have to go to work today, so what do you want to do that won't violate your parole?"

Jonathan rose his eyebrow and looked upwards thoughtfully, "What can I get away with? I forget."

The doctor giggled, "To be honest, not what we're doing right now for one thing."

As Penelope leant back towards him Jonathan stopped her by holding a finger to her lips, "It's been awhile since I've abided any ethics guidelines, but isn't this against them? Not that I'm complaining per say, but I wouldn't want you to be put in a bad spot."

Pulling his finger down and out of the way, Penelope cast her gaze downward, "Well, technically we would have to wait five years to enter into any sexual relationship. We still haven't crossed that line yet," looking back at Jonathan she gained a slightly mischievous look, "But what Gotham doesn't know won't hurt it."

Jonathan chuckled at how she was acting, but a serious thought came to mind concerning this in the long term and so he voiced it, "You think the Bat is going to let this continue?"

Penelope shrugged, not really caring about the Batman right at that moment, "He breaks laws too, something I think he forgets sometimes. In order for him to actually know about us he would have to be invading our privacy in some way be it stealing records at Arkham or actually watching us here. As such, any evidence he submits would be ineligible to be used in court as it violates our rights."

Jonathan smiled at her, "Wouldn't that be a riot, proving Batman that he isn't always in the right."

The two melded their mouths together again and Wrapped their arms around each other tightly as they continued their moment. Penelope could feel a different warmth from that in her cheeks rising in her which made her blush all the more, this time being the one to pull away rather than her partner, "I, uhhh…"

Jonathan nuzzled his head against hers, "It's okay, I get it. We're moving kind of fast."

The doctor felt dirty about what she had prepared herself for the possibility of. Penelope looked downward as her blush became a deep red,"So, I don't know what you think, but I'm not ready for that step yet."

"I'm perfectly fine how we are right now if you are too. There are many…." Jonathan paused before coming up with a suitable word, "complications that come with such a relationship."

Penelope laughed and ran a hand over her flat stomach, "Our relationship would become much more apparent if I was pregnant, wouldn't it? People would ask, and that would lead to me losing my license or even getting jail time for having sexual relations with a recent patient."

"Not to mention your family's reaction to such a thing. I like my arms and legs attached," Jonathan said dryly.

Penelope laid her face on Jonathan's chest and let out a pleasant sigh, "Oh, I think they already think we've been 'together' for awhile now. Talia made some pretty lewd statements the other day about our relationship."

The revelation of Penelope's heritage still shocked Jonathan a little, but the thought that his girlfriend's sister was a common hatred they shared. He lowered his back onto the couch and Penelope followed him into the more relaxed position, Penelope shifting so that she lay on top of him with her face between his head and chest, their height disparity showing. Thinking of the fact that both of them hated Talia brought a smile to Jonathan's face, "She doesn't like us, does she?"

Just as amused by the fact that her relationship with Jonathan was likely driving her sister nuts, Penelope laughed, "Nope, and I am absolutely fine with that fact," laughter receding, she added in a lighter voice, a barely audible whisper, "And the best part is that if we become three, we'll drive her even more up the wall."

Jonathan took a moment to process what she meant, but the meaning did not end up being lost to him and he responded in a similar low voice, "That would definitely be amusing. You're not suggesting though that-"

Penelope kept her face on his chest, no eye contact being made, "Do you even like children?"

The former inmate frowned as he remembered his poor childhood, "Me? Never been a fan, even when I was one for obvious reasons."

Penelope nodded lightly, "Same here, but if I ever have one myself I think I may just create an exception…"

She let out a sigh, the idea of children and thus babies bringing back a bad memory, "As long as Nigma is in Gotham city I'm not having children."

Jonathan rubbed her back gently, picking up on the sadness in her voice and wishing to make her feel better, "Why would that be?"

Penelope pouted, "His first riddle to me was about a baby with its limbs cut off."

Jonathan remembered scolding Edward about that many months prior, and suddenly the idea of having his geeky friend threatening a hypothetical child of his rose a kind of fear within Jonathan he had not felt before. Blushing lightly, Jonathan tried to reassure his girlfriend, "Well, hypothetically, if we had kids, the two of us, we wouldn't have to worry about Nigma. I'm one of the few people he respects and he is fond of the idea of passing on smart genes."

Nuzzling her head against him, Penelope laughed in response to Jonathan, "I don't think any child we could have would be anything less than above average. You're a chemical genius not to mention your psychological skills and overall intelligence, and I'm no moron either."

Closing his eyes, Jonathan tried to imagine this make believe child and their traits, "Hopefully they wouldn't inherit our lack of social skills and tendency for being bullied."

Kissing Jonathan on the cheek, Penelope pointed out a flaw in his statement, "Well, I don't think being a bully magnet is genetic, Love, but I do get your point. Neither of us had a great social life and I don't think either of us would be suited to teaching a child how to interact in everyday life with other kids. Our kid would probably end up having issues like us. The idea of treating our own child as a patient amuses me though."

Jonathan pecked her on the forehead and chuckled, "I don't know if I ever told you this, but you're a disturbed woman."

"Perfect for you, oh Sinister Scarecrow. Now if I may ask, why am I disturbed?"

"Let's start with your mad scientist experiments that turn people into hulking monstrosities. Add onto it that your assistant on this project was not only an inmate but a sadist. Then you not only begin to show affection outside the normal doctor-patient relationship, but you are now romantically involved with the same patient. Furthermore you are perfectly fine with knowing that your real father is a global anarchist who is trying to destroy the town you live in."

"Well, at least I have never been accused of testing chemical compounds on my students, killing people who have bullied me and certainly haven't killed the first person I've had a crush on," Penelope said smugly, recounting how Jonathan had caused an alpha bitch girl and her jock boyfriend who tormented him to get in a car accident by accident when he scared them, "Furthermore, I have never worn burlap and gone around with a mask tormenting others and called myself a ridiculous name."

"Touché, my dear, touché," he continued to chuckle as he held the woman who accepted him despite his past faults and who was willing to look past his darker aspects, "We're one messed up couple."

Penelope pressed herself even tighter onto Jonathan, making him realize just how tightly she had actually been holding him as his back began to crack and he could feel the swell of her chest being pressed right into his abdomen and the lower part of her abdomen and hips pressing up against his own lower body. Kissing Jonathan, Penelope responded, "If it works, why should we care?"

Jonathan knew that biologically he would not be able to stand this new proximity much longer and retain rational reasoning, "Is it just me, or have you been pressing your hips a little too close to my own?"

Penelope let out a light sigh, "Five years is a long time…"

Jonathan grinned as he shook his head amusedly, "I thought we were going to remain celibate?"

A second of pause followed before Penelope asked, "Do you want to?"

"Not now. Penny, you don't look it but I can tell that you're a little upset about your father being the infamous Ra's al Ghul. I'm not going to take advantage of you."

"I'm in love with you."

"I'm in love with you too."

"Hah, I got you to say it!"

"What does it matter if we say it aloud or show it? I prefer actions to words."

Pecking Jonathan on the lips again, Penelope murmured, "Well you just said a few seconds ago you don't want to do a certain action, so how about we just continue this?"

"I would be amenable to that."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Before anyone asks me, NO they did not have sex the night before and NO they don't have sex after. Just two adults who have never had any real relationship suddenly living together and not knowing exactly how to handle the new situation making out on the couch. A lot._**

**_This being said...well, if you didn't catch it, reread the first two paragraphs. Wow, did I write that? Yeah. It's actually about time I've gotten anywhere close to the M rating on this story._**

**_So, anyone have any thoughts on what is going to happen in the upcoming chapters? Any thoughts on what SHOULD happen over the next few chapters? I would love to hear from all of you!_**

_**Hope you all enjoyed and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	61. Session 61: But Won't

_A/U: Woohoo! More fluff! Or is it...yeah, setting the stage for later plot points. Don't mind me._

_**Special thanks goes out to eeemkaaayy (for a very, very kind and in depth review), Seven-of-Storms, Bashlei and scarecrow fangirl for the reviews! Special thanks also to Hawthorn tree and LostSamurai for adding this story to their alert lists! Also thanks to LostSamurai for adding this to their favorites! You guys are great and you really help me finish these regular updates for you all.**_

_Another round of special thanks to Seven-of-Storms for reviewing the side story of this "To Have a Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" and favoriting it! I would suggest it to people who haven't seen it yet, unless you don't want some spoilers. Thoughts and feedback on that are very much appreciated too._

_To answer scarecrow fangirl's question, Scarecrow will have his part. I won't say more than that though._

_**Now, I am still looking or interest in a sequel to this tale. I have received some great support from certain fans, but I really want to know what those of you who haven't reached out think about the concept. I really hope I can hear more opinions on the subject!**_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

* * *

><p>Rubbing his palms together before spreading his arms out, the Joker announced dramatically as though he were a general talking to his men before battle, "Okay boys, today's the day. There may be large loss of life and the casualties will no doubt mount up, but we are going to accomplish our objective! If we don't the Joker will have our heads!"<p>

One of his henchmen rose their hand and asked, "Aren't you the Joker though boss-"

The Joker pushed a button beneath his flower on his purple suit and acid squirted out onto the man who dare questioned him's face. The man fell over onto the ground and screamed in agony, Joker speaking with fake sorrow, "We lost one already! The tragedy! Now boys, you got your gas masks?" Everyone pulled their masks out of their bags and put them on hastily, intent on protecting their own faces, "Good. Now we should be partially protected from fear boy."

Another henchmen tried their luck with a question, "But what happens if he uses a syringe?"

Joker frowned, "Then the funeral will be held next Monday. Any other questions? No? Let's do this people! Time's a wasting! And if we don't get a move on, I'llbe wasting you!"

* * *

><p>Rolling off the couch and onto the floor, Jonathan grunted as his face slammed into the floor. Getting up and stretching out, Jonathan could tell that he had slept awkwardly again. For some reason it was hard for him to adjust to the comfy couch he now slept on instead of his old cot at Arkham. Standing up and stretching out, he let out a yawn. Once his mouth closed the newly released man looked for his significant other, who was not in the living room nor the kitchen that was visible from the living room due to not having a wall but rather a large counter separating the two rooms.<p>

Deciding that she was still asleep, Jonathan walked towards Penelope's room and opened it without knocking, not having ever had to deal with someone else's privacy in years. Once inside the room he was met with a completely naked Penelope who was currently pulling her underwear on. Jonathan froze in place and just continued staring, blushing intensely as he looked over the first woman he had seen naked in years. Penelope on the other hand was blushing in both an embarrassed and angry way, taking a moment to find her voice and yell, "Get out!"

Jonathan ran out of the room and shut the door behind him as fast as his long legs could manage.

* * *

><p>"You Tyger mercenaries of mine are supposed to be the best, so you better do your jobs!"<p>

A man in military gear nodded to Hugo Strange, "Sir, one wiry doctor should pose no issue."

"It will be your lives if you fail. If he doesn't take you out, you might as well not come back."

"Get the doctor, beat the formula out of him, bring him back here if he doesn't give it up. Simple enough."

"If only he would be that simple to handle…"

* * *

><p>Looking outside the window of Penelope's home, now his own he supposed, Jonathan let out a long whistle, "Is that snow outside?"<p>

Now pulling on the last of her clothes, her shirt, she walked up behind Jonathan and hugged him from behind, "Why yes it is Jonathan," standing on her tip toes, Penelope whispered in a cross between a mocking and seductive voice, "Want to go play in the snow, Honey?"

Penelope stretched up as high as she could and kissed her tall lover on the neck, causing him to blush less severely than he had when he walked in on her, "Pen, we can't do this when we're in public later-"

Penelope leant her forehead between her boyfriend's shoulders and closed her eyes blissfully, "No-one knows your face Jonathan. Your old mask is all that they know you by."

Jonathan sighed, "Yes, but shouldn't we be a bit more careful?"

His lover sighed back, "I suppose you're right," kissing the back of his neck again, Penelope added, "But right now? I think we can be a bit lax."

* * *

><p>Looking through his binoculars, the Joker wasn't smiling for once, "Of all the-damnit Johnny! Can't rely on the Scarecrow to follow my instructions and now he is snogging the doctor who won't finish her damn job! If I knew what was best for me I would just kill the two lovebirds right here. I'm so mad that I don't think I could kill anyone."<p>

His only remaining henchman gave a sigh of relief that Joker caught out of the corner of his eye, "Aw heck, it's Thursday. Might as well wipe the slate clean."

The last goon that Joker hadn't killed yet held his hands up in protest, "Wait, boss-!"

A gunshot later, Joker sighed, "Got to hand it to Johnny boy, he really likes that doctor of his. I remember once when a patient of Arkham fell for their doctor who reciprocated their feelings and the two got together and lived crazily ever after. Too bad his doctor isn't a croc like mine was or else we might have had another Rogue to add to this gallery of fools!"

Looking down at what lay in his lap, Joker laughed, "You understand me, don't you Luke Skywalker?" Cuddling his action figure, the Joker just kept laughing, all thoughts of Jonathan Crane and Penelope Young gone from his mind.

* * *

><p>Jonathan turned around and leant his head down to kiss her on the lips, but his mouth collided with her fingertip. This confused Jonathan so Penelope explained to him, "Now, I do have work today, so I have to get ready."<p>

Penelope turned and quickly crossed the room, a bounce in her step and one in her body Jonathan had to pry his eyes from. Figuring that since she was fully dressed and that he was bored, Jonathan followed after her as she entered her bathroom. Inside he could see that she was filling up a glass cup and that on the counter next to the sink there was a container with a variety of different pills in each of seven compartments, each one with a day of the week printed on it, "Penelope? What's with all those pills? You don't do drugs do you?"

Penelope shook her head and laughed, pulling out one pill at a time as she explained what they were, "These are my vitamins here. This B vitamin complex helps enhance cognitive function and acts as a mood enhancer. It also helps brain function and nerve function, which is nice, right? The fish oil helps preserve eye health, helps cardiovascular health, and it also helps with brain health. This small antihistamine is for my seasonal allergies. The calcium tablets are for bone and tooth health, and calcium can even help keep your mood calmer. And this flax seed oil acts like the fish oil in that it helps heart health and brain function."

Jonathan just kept nodding as she spoke and when she finally finished he said bluntly, "You're a health nut."

The woman giggled and shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe, but I don't always get what my body needs in everyday meals so it's necessary. You should try it."

Looking at the last pill in the container she had taken all of the others out of, Jonathan rose his eyebrow, "What's that pill?"

Penelope picked up the last one and held it out in her palm, her face lightly flushed, "That's _the_ pill, Jonathan. Makes sure that I don't have kids when I don't want to."

This confused Jonathan further, "But we aren't sleeping together."

Jonathan's girlfriend rolled her eyes and shook her head, speaking dryly and sarcastically, "Well, obviously I'm cheating on you with the Warden," Jonathan frowned at the concept, but knew that she was completely kidding. Seeing his disgruntled look and knowing that this would annoy him if she didn't explain it, Penelope clarified, "But in all honesty, do you really think I would work at a facility with extremely dangerous personalities where said people break out every day without some sort of insurance? I don't want to carry some sick bastard's child."

Jonathan felt like a brick had just mashed his pride to bits. He could not believe he had not figured it out, "That makes sense."

Penelope took the water from her cup into her mouth before putting her birth control pill in her mouth and swallowing it, "Of course it does. Do you think anyone at Arkham who broke out would wear protection while raping a doctor? I don't think so," taking another pill, Penelope swallowed it and a couple others the same way before responding, "That's also assuming they don't kill me afterwards, but knowing some of the sicker ones they would just let me live to torment me on a different level."

"You…thought this out, haven't you?" Jonathan asked awkwardly. He didn't really like the idea of Penelope imagining having sex with other men. Even if it was unwilling sex, he hoped she hadn't thought any of these possibilities out too far.

Finishing the last of her pills, Penelope responded, "It's kind of hard not to have at this point. I've thought out about a hundred different scenarios in my time at Arkham."

Jonathan's shoulders sank, "That's…quite a lot. You think you obsess over it too much?"

Penelope frowned, sensing that maybe it hadn't been the best topic to bring up with her boyfriend, especially since she hadn't even told him the half of it, "Maybe, but I've had patients assault me within my own sessions. Those moments tend to fuel my fears. It's scary having some of my patients with me."

"How many with me?" Jonathan asked innocently, his voice mimicking that of a child who had their feelings hurt.

Feeling that her secret was about to be revealed, Penelope turned her head and avoided eye contact, "What? What kind of question is that?"

"You've been showing quite some intense…_'physical'_ attraction to me since we've gotten together," he placed finger quotes around physical to emphasize it and let it be known that he truly meant a different word, "Just curious if it dated back before we got together."

Penelope looked at the floor, her face crimson, "All but two, one with Joker and one with Zsasz because they both have broken out during my interviews. And I never thought them through, I was just worried that they would happen. But otherwise…" she let her voice trail off, letting his mind put the rest together.

Jonathan gaped at her, completely caught of guard by her response, "I thought I was your good patient? And I thought you imagined these as a result of fearing dangerous ones?"

"I…" Penelope could not find her voice or something to say to use it for, fully embarrassed that her private sexual fantasies had been revealed to the person they revolved around.

Jonathan closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his love, "Were you worried that it was all a lie and that I was going to take advantage of you somehow?"

Penelope nodded and squeezed herself against Jonathan, prompting him to comfort her, "I love you."

She looked up at him and he saw tears in the corners of her eyes which brought a frown to his own face as she spoke, "I love you too and I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

Leaning down, Jonathan whispered into Penelope's ear, "If Joker or Zsasz ever touch you like that I'll kill them."

Penelope's eyes widened and she clenched her fists on his body, "Jonathan, you're scaring me."

"My turn for being sorry, but-"

Penelope shook her head and cut him off, speaking lovingly and reassuringly, "It's okay, love. I like that you're protective, but I don't want to see you get into any trouble with those crazies."

The two stood in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say next. Thinking of what to say very hard, Jonathan only came up with a query for his lover that was really bugging him, "Question…you had about ninety eight scenarios in your mind about me raping you? You were that fixated on sleeping with me? Quite flattering."

She blushed as she pressed herself against him, "I should probably not have mentioned this…"

Jonathan chuckled at her, rubbing her back as he did so, "Penny, I'm just messing with you."

Penelope bit her lip to not moan at Jonathan running his hands over her, "I don't think we're going to make it five years."

Jonathan felt something against his mid abdomen, but ignored it as he continued to comfort Penelope, "It'll be over before you know it."

Penelope rubbed her hips against Jonathan's almost without thinking, embarrassing herself and causing her to respond, "Tell that to my body that I'm constantly pressing close to a man who I am interested in…_'physically'_," she said the word in the same way Jonathan had said it before.

Jonathan scoffed, feeling her groin right against him causing him to grunt before he spoke, "Well imagine how I feel having the only woman I've longed for in a dozen years rub her crotch against mine? You're such a tease."

Planting a kiss on her lover's neck Penelope continued, "Well, Jonathan, it wouldn't be good practice, but we could shorten the time period technically…as long as you never bring me up on charges I don't think others will."

Now it was Jonathan's turn to stop their makeout session by putting his index finger on her lips, "How about we continue this when you get back from work?"

Penelope looked at the clock in the bathroom and gasped, "Oh crap! Look at the time! You're right, and I still need to get dressed!"

"You have clothes on and you'll be wearing a lab coat anyways, what's the matter?"

Penelope rushed past him into her room, her face still rosy as she spoke, "I'm not…fully dressed. I just pulled my shirt and pants on after you walked in on me, pervert."

Thinking for a moment what she meant by that, Jonathan had a light bulb go on in his head what those two things he felt poking against him earlier were, "And now that makes sense," following after Penelope, Jonathan thought through what she had just said, "And wait one minute, I'm the pervert? Excuse me for gawking at the only naked woman I've seen in years who I just so happen to be in love with!"

Unbuttoning her shirt quickly, Jonathan watched as her cleavage began to show, "Well, I guess it's your lucky day because I still have to get dressed," after she fully buttoned down her shirt and it loosely hung on her body, Penelope undid the button on her pants and began to drop them down when she realized that she had an audience, "You going to stand there and watch or be a gentleman?"

"Can I really choose?"

"Turn around!"

* * *

><p>AN: Haha, that was amusing to write actually. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did!

_So, anyone have any thoughts on what is going to happen in the upcoming chapters? Any thoughts on what SHOULD happen over the next few chapters? I would love to hear from all of you!_

_**Hope you all enjoyed and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	62. Session 62: Conflicting Sides

_A/N: A little bit shorter than the last few, I know, but that's because of where I had to break this chapter from the next one. My apologies on that, but I hope you'll all still leave me your feedback and opinions on it._

_**Special thanks goes out to eeemkaaayy (for a very, very kind and in depth review), Ozwolf, Bashlei and licoricewolf (for multiple actually!) for the reviews! You guys are great and you really help me finish these regular updates for you all.**_

_**Now, I am still looking or interest in a sequel to this tale. I have received some great support from certain fans, but I really want to know what those of you who haven't reached out think about the concept. I really hope I can hear more opinions on the subject!**_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

* * *

><p>Groggily, Jonathan rubbed his eyes as he awakened. He was on his back in a very comfy bed that had sheets and blankets that were furry and fuzzy instead of like normal ones, feeling more like a fleece shirt than cloth. Jonathan rolled over and looked at the clock alongside a phone on a table that sat next to Penelope's bed and saw that it was late afternoon. He yawned as he tried calculating how long he had been sleeping that day, realizing that his body was likely still recovering from years of little sleep. Someone wouldn't let him just relax though, his split mind reminding him of its presence.<p>

_You have a nice nap on your girlfriend's bed Jonathan? Good thing she's at work or she might call you a pervert again._

Jonathan covered his eyes with his arm and groaned, "I'm sick of you. And don't think you're getting off easy for earlier. What was that back there? You nearly gave us away with how you threatened to harm Joker and Zsasz!"

_Oh, come on, really? We both know she loved the alpha male bit._

"No, I'm not letting this go. You are NOT ruining this, you here me?" The former professor stated firmly, his nose meanwhile inhaling Penelope's scent and soothing him.

_Johnny, you know you're talking to yourself right? Anything that ends up being ruined is your own fault._

Jonathan sat up and swung his arm away from his face, "Shut up! For once I'm happy, truly happy, so just let me be!"

_Johnny, I only do what you want me to, remember?_

"No, you're my unrepressed and unrestrained thoughts and emotions, you sick bastard," Jonathan let out a heavy breath before continuing his tirade, "It's been tormenting what images you've had going through my head the past few days."

_What, you enjoyed them, didn't you? I mean how much would dear Penelope love to hear that her fantasies of writhing beneath you were mutual?_

Jonathan punched the bed beneath him, his fist smashing into it and leaving an unsatisfying dent in the Tempur-Pedic mattress' soft form, "Shut UP 'Crow! The reason you exist is because I needed to create a distance between myself and the pain I felt as a kid, and you were that. You took my pain away, but that began to result in me lashing out at them. It hurt holding all the misery back from them, so you took it out on bullies! But I don't need you anymore! I'm a grown up who can face pain, I don't need some figment of my imagination ruling the rest of my life!"

_I liked it better when we were but one mind and I was the one who was in charge,_

"Well guess what, you're not in charge anymore! When I put that mask on, you take over, fine, but this is my body and my life. Stay out of it!"

_Don't you mean stay out of her?_

Jonathan growled, "Shut up, and I mean it! I'm sick of you!" as he seethed in anger an idea came to his mind and his scowl was replaced with a devious grin, "You know what I'm going to do?"

_Of course I do, I'm you moron! And don't you dare!_

"Two-Face's medicine actually works when he takes it, but he only takes it half the time due to his compulsion. So how about we see how effective it is against you?"

_You had better not! I'm here to help you Jonathan! I protect you!_

"I told you already, I don't need you anymore. I don't need anyone to look after me while I have Penny."

Before Jonathan's alternate self could respond the phone nearby them rang. Jonathan looked at it, but didn't answer it. He was worried that it would be Ra's al Ghul, Talia, or someone else who he really didn't want to talk to at the moment.

Ring, _Well, you going to answer it?_

Ring, "Stop commenting on everything," ring.

Ring, ring, _Answer it._

Ring, "No."

Ring, _Answer it!_

Ring "If it'll shut you up, fine," Jonathan relented as he reached for the ringing phone. The disgruntled man pulled the phone to his face and spoke into it, "Hello?"

Over the line he could hear the voice of his significant other, who spoke in a happy tone that hid how annoyed she was at the moment, "Hey Jonathan, I'm running a bit late today. Some stupid detective came by and questioned me about doctor Murphy's death and wasted all my time. You want to go out and do something while I'm finishing up here? Being home all day must be boring."

Jonathan could tell that she was not in the best of moods given how much she hated it when people got in her way, so he decided to just go along with her suggestion with no argument from his other side, "Sure. I'll just go check out the library and catch up on some reading. Want to come by and pick me up there when you're done?"

Penelope's voice lightened a little, talking to Jonathan calming her a little, "Sure. See you later."

He nodded as she hung up, "Bye."

_Library, huh? Why not go to the slums, gather up some of our old supplies, and test their potency on some hobos?_

"No."

_Come on, you know you want to! Because if I do, then that means so do you!_

Jonathan groaned, fed up with having to talk to himself, "Go die in a fire."

_On that subject, note to self, don't anger Catwoman when Firefly's weaponry is within her reach._

"I still have burns from that thanks to your stupid gloating."

_I beat the Bat! I lit him on fire! Joker hasn't even accomplished a curb stomp fight against the Batman like that before. Gassing him, torturing him and then lighting him on fire should have defeated the Bat, but of course it didn't!_

Jonathan scoffed, "Understood, but know that Batman has taken insane dosages of our toxin before and fought through it like it was just a bad dream. But that still doesn't excuse angering miss Kitty."

_She was just still pissed that we blackmailed her with her identity. Has to be. No other reason why she would literally set us on fire. I'm the goddamn Scarecrow!_

"Ever think that she has feelings for the Bat that run deeper than whatever fear we strike in her?" thinking about love made him think of all the things Penelope did for him out of her devotion and he sighed, "Love can make you do stupid things."

_You should know that pretty well by now._

"No one asked your opinion."

* * *

><p>"Excellent. Attacking her house would have brought attention to that doctor Young, and we were instructed not to let the police look too much into her or her work for some reason. The library will do though. You guys get the white and red face paint yet?"<p>

* * *

><p>An arm outstretched and the hand attached to it knocking on her door, Penelope looked up and glared at detective Sam Bradley junior as he walked into her office, "Doctor Young, I'm sorry to bother you again, but I would like to question you now about the man who you are looking after-"<p>

Penelope had honestly had enough of the man as she could deal with earlier, him having questioned her for way too long and ruining her plan for the day, "Haven't you wasted enough of my time today?"

Bradley frowned at her and shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I'm sorry if I'm doing my job."

The doctor scoffed at him and pointed to the clock in her room, "You could do it better and solve the case if you spent more time looking for evidence and less time asking people who don't know anything pointless questions for hours on end. Even that loony the Batman would have solved this by now!"

The detective shifted his hat and seethed, "That vigilante is no detective. If he wanted to help people here, he shouldn't bring about his own justice in this city. He's just some self-righteous madman, so don't tell me that you think he could do a better job than me."

Penelope formed an O with her mouth, having found something to play with, and asked mockingly, "Oooh, did I hit a sore spot? You not feel up to living in the Batman's shadow?"

Bradley grunted, not liking that the conversation had turned to focus on him, "Doctor, I am here to talk about your former patient-"

Penelope ignored his protect and continued to mock him in the hopes that he would just leave, "Or is it your own successful father? Is that why you are still looking into this case? Because you don't think you can live up to your old man's name, or even match the skills of the Batman?"

Completely caught off guard with how Young was insulting him and actually hitting him where it hurt, Bradley tried to fire back at her, "Doctor Young, I am getting fed up with this slander, especially while it's coming from the second Harley Quinn."

Now it was Penelope's turn to become embarrassed, but she hid it well as she responded, "What, so it's wrong now to actually care about your patients?"

The detective smirked, having set the conversation back on track, "I've been snooping around here and apparently your superiors are questioning your involvement with Crane. Given the fact that Murphy was to be your date to an event, it would reason that if you were in some form of relationship with Crane that the sicko would kill anyone who rivaled your affections."

Penelope shook her head, going from annoyed at the man to barely able to withhold her resentment, "You don't know what you're talking about. Jonathan wouldn't do something like that."

"Oh really?" Bradley asked slyly, "Like that bastard wouldn't harm other people? He's killed people in the past and tortured others to the point of suicide, sometimes by words alone. Now tell me, what lengths would a man like that go to to off someone who was the opposition in a love triangle?"

"And let me guess, detective, you're thinking also that I had something to do with it?" Penelope scowled fiercely as she spoke to the man.

He nodded and continued, "For someone who was taking you on a date, you don't seem very sad that he passed away."

Penelope waved a hand dismissively, "Right before he went and had a heart attack, Murphy insulted my most promising patient and I on a major level. I also later learned that all he planned on doing at the event was getting me drunk and sleeping with me afterwards. I don't like that he's dead, but I'm not grieving."

"Where is Crane right now?"

Knowing that if she were to withhold information and completely anger the detective that he would look more into her and possibly into her less than scrupulous Titan project that she was in the process of ending, Penelope decided to send the doctor to where Jonathan was, "You'll be wasting your time, but he's going to the library. I'm sure he'll answer your questions again and end this idiotic inquisition."

The detective tipped his hat in an almost mocking manner as he turned to leave, "Your overall bitchiness will be taken into account and remembered when I come back to see who helped him kill Murphy."

Penelope closed her eyes and shook her head, flipping the man the bird underneath the desk, "Get out of my office."

* * *

><p><em>This place sucks. Everything is quiet. No screaming. There is more screaming and crying on the average street.<em>

Currently seated in the library, Jonathan whispered, "Shut up, 'Crow."

Lala, la, ladidadida, laaaaaaaaa, lada, daaaaaaaaa-

"I'm getting the medication as soon as I can."

Fine. See how much I care when I remain as the dominant personality.

"I hate you. I hate you so, so much."

You should stop loathing yourself. It's not healthy.

"You're not healthy!"

"Sir, please be quiet, this is a library."

Jonathan sighed heavily, angry that his technical monologue had been heard, "My apologies."

You should really stop getting so angry over your own thoughts. People might think you're crazy or something.

Jonathan Crane had to bite his tongue in order to keep himself from telling Scarecrow off.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Not as fluffy, nor as cute as previous chapters, but not all of them can be like those ones. _

_So, anyone have any thoughts on what is going to happen in the upcoming chapters? Any thoughts on what SHOULD happen over the next few chapters? I would love to hear from all of you!_

_**Hope you all enjoyed and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

_**l**_

_**V**_


	63. Session 63: Shipping Fees

_A/N: Okay, I know this is shorter than usual, but I was very busy today and was too busy to get a head start on the weekend. Please forgive me. Will cameos make everything better?_

_**Special thanks goes out to licoricewolf, scarecrow fangirl and jason rulz death for the reviews! You guys are great and you really help me finish these regular updates for you all.**_

_**Now, I am still looking or interest in a sequel to this tale. I have received some great support from certain fans, but I really want to know what those of you who haven't reached out think about the concept. I really hope I can hear more opinions on the subject!**_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

* * *

><p>"So, everything in place?"<p>

The Riddler looked up and watched as former Blackgate prisoner Catwoman sat down next to him, "Of course. We just have to wait for the right opportunity."

Selina Kyle smiled, glad that things were going according to plan, "Good. Have Freeze and Two-Face done their parts?"

Edward Nigma smiled back as he imagined their upcoming and bombastic breakout, "Yes. We'll be set. Now it's just a waiting game."

Thinking to their would be possible assistant, Selina let out a breath and shook her head, "I can't believe Crane got out before us."

Edward shrugged his shoulders and laughed, "What can I say, he's dating his doctor."

Catwoman's eyes widened as she grew a grin full of mirth, "So, I guess I was right about him. And to think he denied it."

"He has issues, am I right?" The narcissist of the two asked the thief jokingly.

"Way to make an understatement! He's up there with Joker in my book," Selina scoffed.

Riddler pursed his lips as he thought about his personal 'craziest Rogues' list, "Joker and Harley Quinn are the craziest in my book, although I am pretty sure the latter couldn't read one if she tried."

A shrill voice that pierced the two's conversation and hurt their ears yelled came from across the room, "Hey! I heard that bookworm!"

The Riddler sighed as he saw the approaching Rogue that he disliked, "Speak of the moron."

Harley Quinn walked up to the two with her arms crossed, "Hey miss Kitty, hey jackass. What's up? Whatcha planning?"

Riddler made a shooing motion with his hand, hoping to dismiss the airhead, "Nothing that concerns you."

Turning to face Catwoman specifically, Harley clasped her hands together and begged, "Awwww, come on, please tell me?"

Selina grimaced, her fellow female's dull wit making Catwoman reluctant to say anything to Joker's girlfriend, "Sorry Harley, but what you don't know can't hurt you."

Harley squeezed her hands even tighter, her fingers turning white as she continued to plead, "I _promise _I won't tell my puddin'!"

Edward mimicked Harley's motions and begging, "I promise I won't tell my puddin'. Hah, as if that promise is worth anything. You would let slip anything to anyone anytime."

Harley smacked the brainiac across the face, "Shaddap, I'm working on miss Kitty!" turning to the other inmate, she clasped her hands together again and gave Catwoman puppy dog eyes, "So what about it, Selina?"

Always out to serve number one, Catwoman smiled and asked, "I don't know, what would I get out of telling you?"

"Uhhhhhh…." Harley wracked her brain for something she could bargain with. She continued to think while the other two patients watched her, but in a random stroke an idea came to her, "I'll help you get with the Bat the next time we're both out of this place!"

"Wouldn't that anger your 'puddin'?" Catwoman said with quotations around the pet name Harley used for her boyfriend. Opposed to the idea, she was not.

Harley grinned brightly, her face beaming as she realized her ticket to buying information while also indulging her matchmaking tendencies, "Heck no! He totally ships you two! He likes the fact that Bat and Cat rhyme. He's also not all that fond of Batman's other sweety, that Talya girl," Selina frowned at the mention of her rival for the Bat's affection, although in her own opinion it was no contest. If the Bat was opposed to having a relationship with a thief, he would never be involved with a terrorist and murderer. Seeing that she had Catwoman incensed in the idea, Harley continued, "You came first after all and are an honorary Rogue here while she's just some out of town bimbo."

Edward rubbed his cheek and scoffed, "You're one to call someone that…"

Harley clenched her fist, "What was that, wimp?"

"Nothing, dolt."

Whacking Riddler again, Harley spoke to her fellow girl, "Come on Selina, I need a new pairing to ship and help out! Johnny and Penny are together now and my work there is done, so my expert romantic advice is available if you want it in return for telling me what you guys are scheming!"

Catwoman gave an amused smile, "Tell me Harley, how could you help me out in regards to tall, dark and handsome? I doubt he would listen to you if you tried to talk him into anything."

Harley snorted and burst out laughing, "Of course not! But I _could_ send an army of goons to a place to steal something or other, and have you swoop in and beat them up along with the Bat! Think about it, bonding under pressure!"

Riddler shook his head and put his arms up defensively to protect his esteemed brain from any further attacks by Harley, "Don't do it Selina. I'm not getting our plan screwed over by this halfwit who can't keep her mouth shut!"

The former psychologist at Arkham growled as she threw a punch at the wiry man, "Shut it Eddie!"

"Selina, I implore you, don't do it!" Edward said between wild jabs thrown at him.

Selina chuckled as she watched her accomplice get beat upon by Harley, "Why not Eddie? I mean, it's not like she'll be able to contact Joker by the time it goes down."

Riddler caught Harley's fist and did his best to hold onto it as she tried to wrench it from his grasp, "But she'll let it slip to some guard somewhere. She's the quintessential moron! Remember all the times she has had her plans or other peoples' plans foiled _just_ because she can't shut up?"

Harley grunted and gave up her assault on the less than athletic man, crossing her arms angrily, "Eddie, you're really pissing me off. Don't come to me with help with Julie, meanie. You suck-"

Eddie jabbed a finger at Harley, his voice stern and rushed, "Don't mention her name you Harlot!"

On the sidelines to their behavior, Selina chuckled as she observed, "My my, if this is how children act, remind me not to have any."

Focusing back on Catwoman, Harley asked, "Getting back to that, how about it, miss Kitty? I help get you together with the Bat and you tell me what's going on?"

After a brief amount of consideration, Selina shrugged and said, "Sure," the Riddler glared at her, his mind envisioning Harley Quinn squealing by accident and ruining his strong efforts to pull this plan together, "Don't give me that look Eddie. You're overreacting. Sure, she may say something, but what we've got in motion they have no way of stopping," turning to the other Rogue, Catwoman asked, "So, what do you want to know Harley?"

Despite receiving the attention and the offer for information that she wanted, Harley's attention was focused elsewhere. Passing by the newly renovated recreational room was a certain woman who Harley wished to speak to, "Hey, doctah Young! Yoohoo! Doctah Young!"

Normally one to ignore this particular patient, Young decided that she was in a good enough mood to deal with whatever Harley could throw at her. Young stopped by the barred door that separated the inmates from the hallway and asked, "Yes Ms. Quinzel? Is there something you need?"

Harley ran up to the bars and smiled in a way that would make her boyfriend happy, "How's Johnny doing? He's staying at your place, right?"

Stunned that an inmate knew that Jonathan was living with her, Penelope stammered, "Jon-Jonathan's fine," making the quick decision that this conversation could not lead anywhere good, Young turned to leave, "Now, if you excuse me-"

Harley giggled and whispered loudly, "You sleeping with him yet?"

Now completely shocked, Penelope stopped in her footsteps. Her face blushed a deep red as she turned around and replied angrily, "Miss Quinzel, that is hardly an appropriate question to ask someone! And to appease your childish mind, no, Jonathan and I are not in that kind of a relationship."

Harley just kept on smiling, having caught onto a slipup in the doctor's response, "What kind of a relationship are ya in then?"

Young narrowed her eyes, "Goodbye Harleen."

Having crept up behind Harley with Riddler in tow, Selina called out to the psychologist, "Docter Young, in all honesty, how is he doing? Jonathan is something of a friend of ours and we're concerned that he might not be adapting well."

Remembering that this particular inmate was not in fact insane, Penelope decided to speak to them instead of Harley, "He really is doing fine. We're waiting to hear back from some places he can work at with his skill set and who don't mind his past record."

Catwoman nodded, content with the response, "I'm glad to hear that. Do Gotham a favor doctor, keep him that way. We all like hearing that he's fine, and we know he's happy with you," Penelope's cheeks flushed red again and her brow furrowed causing Selina to comment, "we know about your relationship, but we won't be telling anyone. Just keep him how he is, okay? I don't think he would take you breaking his heart well."

Penelope sighed as she tried to find her voice, "I…I definitely have no intention to hurt Jonathan or his feelings. I want him to be happy too."

Harley swooned to one side, knocking Nigma off his feet without realizing it, "Awww, how romantic!"

The extremely embarrassed doctor turned her head to avoid eye contact and replied, "I…I'm going to get back to work."

As Penelope left and Harley waved goodbye, Riddler stood up and cracked his back. He turned to face his partner in crime Catwoman and smiled, "I think when I break out I'm going to visit Jonathan firsthand. See how he's doing."

"When I break out I'm going to start preparing his wedding and baby shower! She loves Johnny-boy so much, and I bet their children will make great Scarecrows and Scarequeens!" Harley interjected to the amusement of the other two Rogues. Riddler and Catwoman shook their heads as Harley began to spin around and talk about the future and the next generation of criminals in Gotham.

Riddler pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards where he had been sitting originally, "Let's go. She'll be like this for awhile before she comes and bothers us again."

Even after they left Harley kept on going on and on, ignorant to their departure, "Another Jonathan to play with Joker junior! And they can bully Bat junior and hit on his sister Cat junior! It'll be great!"

* * *

><p><em>Jonathan<em>.

Jonathan ignored the voice of the figure beside him.

_"Jonathan!"_

Jonathan flipped a page in the book he was reading, Phobias: The History and Science of Fear from Hippocrates to Freud to the Present Day by Helen Saul. He did not wish to put up with his other self.

_"I'm bored. Can we go do something now?"_

Jonathan shook his head and sighed.

_"Seriously Jonathan, we should go kill someone. Like, soon. If I don't get my fix I don't know what I'll do…"_

Jonathan was trying hard not to create a scene as he argued with Scarecrow. So he just resolved to not responding to the man.

_"Okay, I don't like the silent game. When you fight back things are more fun."_

Jonathan shook his head amusedly, contemplating how he was going to get the pills he needed and if asking Penelope would be a good idea. He didn't want her to learn about Scarecrow, he really didn't, but if her learning about the madman stopped him from hurting her then he was fine doing so.

The figure shook his shoulder,_ "Listen to me! Hey, hey! Listen! You're not listening! I'm you, so I know you're not. Start listening!"_

Jonathan sighed. It was going to be a long stay at the library.

* * *

><p><em>AN: **Those with a keen eye will notice a change in this chapter from the others with Scarecrow. Not even a keen eye, maybe just an okay one. If you don't know what I mean, go back and read that part again. See it now? Can anyone tell me what you think is going on and changing? I would love to hear your ideas and theories!**_

_So, anyone have any thoughts on what is going to happen in the upcoming chapters? Any thoughts on what SHOULD happen over the next few chapters? I would love to hear from all of you!_

_**Hope you all enjoyed and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

_**l**_

_**V**_


	64. Session 64: A Storm is Brewing

_A/N: Not the longest, I admit...you'll all like the next chapter's length though!_

_**Special thanks goes out to licoricewolf, ozwolf, scarecrow fangirl and jason rulz death for the reviews! You guys are great and you really help me finish these regular updates for you all.**_

_**Now, I am still looking or interest in a sequel to this tale. I have received some great support from certain fans, but I really want to know what those of you who haven't reached out think about the concept. I really hope I can hear more opinions on the subject!**_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

* * *

><p>"Hey, who are you clowns and why are you wearing that silly paint on your faces?"<p>

The Joker looked around the rooftop of the library and furrowed his green brow at the sight of heavily armored, SWAT looking men surrounding him and his new group of thugs. There were about as many of them as there were his men, but the fact was that these men were surrounding them and were toting assault weapons. Unfitting though was the white and red face paint splattered upon all of their faces, contrasting their dark armor and making their otherwise serious selves look ridiculous.

Joker giggled, "Ooooh, I get it! You're trying to look like me. Flattering, it really is, but did I give you permission?" the mad king of the Rogues asked mockingly. After letting a beat pass, the Joker yelled, "No! So wipe that painted grin off your faces and leave! I have business with Johnny boy down in there."

The leader of the armed soldiers yelled out for all his men to hear, "Take him down, but don't kill him. No gunfire."

Removing electric prods from their belts, all his men replied faithfully, "Roger Lieutenant."

Joker giggled as the soldiers began to close in on them, "Oh, that's cute, coming at me with an electric thingamajig. Boys! Teach these men a lesson in pain!"

* * *

><p>Scarecrow groaned and placed a hand on his cheek, leaning on it lazily, "Can we go do something now?"<p>

Jonathan shook his head, "No."

Scarecrow lowered his shoulders and whined, "Please? You've gotten me to the point of saying please," tone turning from pathetic to angry, he continued, "That has to account for something you moronic, bumbling, stupid-"

Jonathan flipped another page, eyes scanning it and not looking at Scarecrow, "No."

Scarecrow smiled, "No meaning yes?"

Jonathan let out a breath and calmed himself, his voice stern and cold, "No, as in denial, refusal and not accepting. No, and that's the last time I'm going to say it."

Scarecrow smugly asked again, "Can we go do something now?"

Jonathan shot him a glare but didn't otherwise react, causing Scarecrow to respond childishly, "Come on! Sure, the book is about fear, but why do I have to suffer while you waste your time?"

Jonathan still did not reply. Growing impatient Scarecrow grunted in anger, "You're impossible. Well how about I just _make _you go and do something else?"

Jonathan smiled smugly to himself, "I can't wait until I can get my meds."

A girl with red hair in a wheelchair shushed him from behind, "Sir, can you please stop talking to yourself? It is getting distracting!"

Jonathan didn't turn to face them, instead just lifting a hand up and replying, "My apologies. I'll be gone soon."

The woman left, but another soon replaced her, "Jonathan, there you are. This place is really big you know."

Jonathan smiled and turned to face Penelope, "You would be correct about that. Time to go?"

Penelope nodded to him and smiled, "Yeah."

The two got up and left the library without another word, but when they left the front door Penelope spoke, "I was thinking that it might be nice to go out and eat. Would you mind that?"

Jonathan smiled despite a nagging thought biting the back of his mind, "No, no I would not mind," deciding that he was better safe than sorry, he added, "Do you think anyone will recognize my face though?"

His secret girlfriend pursed her lips as she thought for a moment, "No, not really," eyeing her partner's face, Penelope laughed, "Although once they meet you I'm pretty sure they won't forget your pretty face?"

Jonathan scoffed, unsure if he was being insulted jokingly, "Pretty?"

Penelope ran a hand across Jonathan's face as snow fell from the sky, "You look effeminate Jonathan," with another laugh, she winked at him, "I don't mind. I would rather you be the handsome and beautiful man you are than some freak or brute."

Jonathan rolled his eyes, both happy that she found him attractive and sad that she thought he was a pretty boy, "I guess I'll take that compliment then."

As they approached her car, Penelope asked another question, "So, any calls today about the jobs?"

Jonathan frowned and looked down as he opened the car door, "No. Not many places out there that will likely accept someone of my history, even the ones who say they don't really mind," he entered the car and sat down in the front passenger seat and sighed, "Are you going to kick me out if I can't get hired?"

Penelope settled herself in the driver's seat as her eyes widened, "What? Of course not. Sure, you having a job would be nice, but I won't be mad at you if you can't get one. I would be mad at the people hiring!" she chuckled for a moment before settling down and continuing, "Besides, not everyone has to work. You could always be a stay at home da-" she caught herself before finishing and finished her sentence in a different way than she originally intended, "boyfriend."

Jonathan saw her mistake, but he didn't really mind it. After all, he was pretty sure that he wished to stay with Penelope in the years to come and the idea of siring a child with her at some point did not exactly cause him to grimace. She was, after all, the woman he loved. To keep with her terminology though, he mirrored her statement while asking a question, "A stay at home 'boyfriend' would have to have something to do though. I can clean and cook, but what else would you have me do?"

Penelope shrugged as she started the car, "Well, you could always help me with my experiments and formulas," cheeks tinting red, Penelope added, "And who knows, maybe one day you can do me some other kind of favor."

Jonathan furrowed her brow for a moment before what she meant dawned on him, "I think I understand what you mean…Pen? You're a pervert in issues concerning me, aren't you?"

* * *

><p>"Damnit! Crane is leaving and he has Young with him."<p>

Joker cackled as the soldiers standing over him cussed, "You guys are after poor old Johnny too?"

The Lieutenant frowned as he watched doctor Young's car leave the parking lot, "He'll be happy we grabbed this madman even if we didn't get the target."

Joker grimaced, insulted by his opponent, "Who you calling the-"

Slamming his weapon into Joker's face and electrocuting him into unconsciousness, the Lieutenant ordered, "Bind his limbs. Dispose of the others."

* * *

><p>Young finished buttoning her shirt and left her room, double checking that she was wearing her underwear this time out. She was still a bit embarrassed by her lack of it when she was making out with Jonathan the morning before, and didn't want to not wear it and thus tease him more than she was already.<p>

On the couch still was Jonathan, completely wiped out but to Penelope's joy, not snoring. She smiled at the sight of her partner's peaceful slumber, his face calmer than it ever was while he was awake, "I think I'll just leave him a note. Let him sleep in a bit more," she giggled as she thought of her now nightly ritual that Jonathan wasn't privy to, "I still can't believe he slept through that though…if I heard my name a lot while I was sleeping I would definitely wake up."

Victor Fries looked up from his frozen cot and watched as a heavily bundled figure walked into his special cell, "Good morning doctor Young."

Penelope smiled underneath the scarf she had on her head, "Good morning Victor. How have you been?"

Victor shrugged nonchalantly, his monotone voice making it seem as though he were apathetic, "I have been living through the constant monotony of life here at Arkham quite fine lately."

Penelope stood nearby him, but didn't move too close to the frigid man out of a low level of fear of him, "I'm sorry about your living conditions, but since you can't survive outside of this environment we're not able to let you socialize."

The man who had to live in a frozen environment felt a slight smile tug at his lips, "I understand. I thank you for braving the cold to come speak with me though."

His doctor nodded to him, "Think nothing of it. This is my job after all."

"I understand perfectly, but there is still the fact that you could transfer me to another doctor," Fries narrowed his eyes, "Now, what pointless questions do you plan to ask me, doctor Young?"

"I-" Penelope began to defend herself without realizing what she was actually going to say. She didn't finish the sentence and thought for a moment about what she wanted to say instead. Penelope turned off her recording before continuing, "What was it like when you were in love with Nora?"

Victor looked at the snow globe that sat near his bed that held a twirling dancer with blonde hair within, "Nora was the only light I ever had in my life. She was kind to me when no others were and she was what made me want to wake up each morning. Why the inquiry, doctor?"

"I-" again, Penelope didn't finish her sentence. This time though she was trying to defend herself, although her shivering lessened the amount Fries could take her seriously, "Merely wished to understand more why you obsess over her."

Mister Freeze decided that he did not need a collapsed doctor in his cell right before the breakout and decided to send her away, "I see that you're shivering. I thank you for coming in here and wishing to talk with me, but I suggest you go do your other tasks."

Penelope tried to downplay her coldness, but in reality she was chilled to the bone and wanted to leave already, "I'm okay, really-"

Fries had another reason for letting his doctor go so quickly, a more sentimental reason he wouldn't want other Rogues to find out, "I take it that you have someone that you care for. The sooner you finish your duties here, the sooner you can see them, no?"

Penelope faltered again, blushing heavily as she questioned, "I…I…how does everyone here know I'm dating Jonathan?"

Victor nodded to her, "Thank you for confirming my suspicions. I don't hear many rumors, but the few that I do come from Riddler who is usually right about his suspicions. He has a habit of sneaking around the asylum if your guards haven't figured that out."

"That narcissistic, moody-" Penelope screamed and clenched her fists, "And to think, he's my next appointment! Why I oughta-!"

Fries rose a hand to calm her, "I suggest that you don't bring this up with him. Chances are you would end up having a website and a documented story about your relationship by the end of the day."

The doctor took in a breath and let it out heavily, realizing that she was dealing with someone who wasn't going to give her secret away, "Fine. Then to prevent him from gloating over me for all eternity I'll transfer him to someone else."

"That sounds like a good idea," he pointed to her face and her uncovered nose, "Now, I don't think Jonathan will find you as attractive with a frostbitten nose."

Penelope pulled the scarf up higher to warm her nose and nodded to the inmate, "Goodbye Victor."

Victor nodded back to her, "Goodbye. I somehow doubt we'll have many more meetings in the future, so good luck with Jonathan."

"I…thank you. If you don't mind me asking, why does everyone want Jonathan to be happy with me?"

Fries closed his eyes as he explained to her, "As the Scarecrow he was as much a threat to us as he was to others. Keeping him as Jonathan Crane is in the best interests of everyone. I too know what it's like to be in love though and I don't like to see any heart related tragedy."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Yay for cameos! Can anyone guess who the lieutenant earlier in this chapter was based upon lightly? I mean, it would be amazing if anyone got it...cookies for those who do! I'll have to eat them for you though since I can't send them to you, but cookies nonetheless!_

_So, anyone have any thoughts on what is going to happen in the upcoming chapters? Any thoughts on what SHOULD happen over the next few chapters? I would love to hear from all of you!_

_**Hope you all enjoyed and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

_**l**_

_**V**_


	65. Session 65: No Longer a Patient

_A/N: Okay, this was originally going to be long but family got in the way. All of what would have made this chapter long will be in the very long NEXT chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this and will enjoy it's longer sister coming up._

_**Special thanks goes out to eeemkaaayy (especially due to length!), licoricewolf, and jason rulz death for the reviews, as well as two anonymous reviewers! You guys are great and you really help me finish these regular updates for you all.**_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

* * *

><p>Penelope gasped in amazement, "You'll take him? You will? Thank you so much!" The person on the other end of the phone line asked a question to which Penelope replied, "Why do I want to transfer him?" the doctor could not just say that she wanted to stop meeting with a patient who was privy to her relationship with Jonathan, so she came up with a believable excuse, "Uhh, I'm not capable of dealing with his mood swings. They interrupt our sessions and I think that you would be better suited to treat him," the person on the other end of the line accepted the lie and Penelope sighed in relief, "Thank you again. Bye."<p>

Penelope sighed heavily as she spoke into her tape recorder, trying to make her exasperation at her excuse sound real, "This is my final interview with Edward. I have gone as far as I can with him. I can no longer tolerate his mood swings and tantrums. I have more important work to be getting on with. He will be transferred to doctor Whistler's care as of next week.

An orderly let the inmate she spoke of into her office, the Riddler taking a seat and beaming wildly at Penelope, his mood very high based on what day it was, "Good morning doctor! How are you today?"

Penelope nodded to him, unsure as to what was up with him, "Fine, thank you Edward," taking a look at his very content face, Penelope decided to question it, "You're in a good mood."

Edward smiled at her and spoke happily, "I'm always in rare spirits when I'm about to be released."

Penelope was confused by his statement, "Edward, you do know that you don't come up for parole for another three years-?"

Nigma completely ignored what she was saying in order to joyfully say, "First thing I'll do is have dinner at that Italian place on nineteenth street."

His current doctor frowned, not fond of her more sane patients going off on their crazy tangents, "Seriously Edward-"

Edward kept on speaking, in his own world it seemed to Penelope, "I only hope Joker hasn't completely trashed the city," he sighed, but still spoke in a jovial tone, "Oh well, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough!"

Penelope's eyes widened at the mention of the Joker. She was scared as to what the madman's reaction to her stopping the project would be, and thusly she feared anything he may do, "Wait…have you been in contact with the Joker?" Penelope frowned as she remembered how the Joker had been caught and held for a total of three seconds in recent weeks, and the idea that said madman was loose unsettled her, "He escaped Arkham weeks ago."

Riddler's smile morphed, now devious and mischievous, "And yet…one hears things."

"What things? What have you heard?" Penelope said, her voice worried but also stern.

"Oh, something about a surprise party for Batman. I forget the rest," Edward said lazily, "You know Joker. Yak, yak, yak."

Penelope frowned and exclaimed, "Edward! If you know anything you've got to tell me. Lives could be at stake! What did Joker say?"

The Riddler leaned back in his chair and smiled smugly, "You forget Doctor…I'm the one who asks the riddles."

"That wasn't a riddle!"

Wanting to change topics to something as lighthearted as he felt at the moment, Edward asked, "How's Johnny by the way?"

It was now Penelope who ignored what he was saying, "Tell me about the Joker, Nigma. Now."

Riddler shrugged nonchalantly, "Sorry, but I don't think I can."

Penelope shook her head and sighed exasperatedly. Opening one of her desk drawers, the doctor replied, "Fine then. How do you like your failed steroid strength building formula?"

"Hah, what are you talking about you silly woman?" Riddler said haughtily.

Penelope pulled out of the drawer a syringe that was full of some liquid unknown to the Riddler, "You see Edward, I had this project called Titan that was funded up until recently when I shut it down. It was designed to strengthen a patient's body to subject them to severe treatment," Penelope stood up and walked towards the Riddler at a leisurely pace, inspecting the syringe as she approached him, "I came close to having a perfect formula quite a few times, but never got quite there. For the most part, someone will either bulk up massively and then fall apart literally or bulk up and then become a hideous beast with no mind," Penelope stopped when she reached his side and held the Titan formula before his eyes, his arms unable to do anything due to the straightjacket he had on, "So, depending on what this is like for you, you might end up a hulking monster with no mind. How would that be, Edward?"

Nigma's stomach dropped and his haughty nature disappeared, fearfully choking out, "And you think you can just go and stab me with that and do that to me? You would get fired!"

Penelope smiled at him in the same smug way he had to her earlier, "Not if I tell them that you volunteered for it. You see, I could just say that I didn't tape today's session. They would take my word, and you would be dead or mindless."

As the needle pointed towards him, Nigma felt sweat falling down his brow, "Woah, woah. No need to do anything rash!"

Penelope kept smiling and spoke in a patronizing tone, like one would to a child, as she waved the syringe before him, "Then tell me about the Joker and I promise I'll put this away."

Riddler shifted as far away from her as he could in his seat while grumbling, "Sheesh, you're more fitting for Jonathan than I thought, waving syringes around and threatening others. Why do you care so much about Joker anyways?"

"He was the one funding this program. I have a feeling he wants it for his own demented use."

Riddler nodded lightly before asking a question, "How big do guys on that stuff get?"

Penelope kept smiling, "You know Bane?" Riddler nodded in a confused manner, and Penelope followed up on it, "He's kind of tiny in comparison."

The whole picture fell into place for the narcissistic man, "Joker would take the formula and use it on some hapless people and then likely ruin Gotham. Wonderful. My poor little Italian restaurant would be demolished by that clown's madness."

Penelope nodded to him, glad that Nigma now understood what she was going through, "So can you see why I wish to know about him a little more? If we can stop and catch Joker, then he wouldn't be able to use it for his purposes."

Riddler rose an eyebrow, "Wouldn't bringing him here just make him even closer to it?"

She pursed her lips as she thought about that unfortunate truth, "Technically, yes, but I doubt that with our new security that he could get out again," Penelope placed the syringe near the man's neck and asked in a low voice, "So, where is he Nigma?"

The Riddler's face contorted in absolute fear, "I honestly have no idea! He sent out some stupid party invitations awhile back, but I swear that I don't know where he is right now or what he's doing!"

Penelope pulled the syringe away, Edward letting out a sigh of relief as she responded, "Fine. You look like you're telling the truth," tossing the syringe onto her desk, Penelope used her other hand to pull the lanky Nigma to his feet, "Now, think about it a bit more in solitary. If anything comes to mind, I would love to hear it."

"Solitary? For what?"

Penelope smiled smugly at him again, "For assaulting your doctor of course," seeing that he was confused and not amused, she decided to clarify her actions, "In reality, to give everyone a reason to believe why you would say slanderous things against me. If I put you in solitary for a good few weeks, then anything you say regarding Jonathan and I will be ignored."

Nigma nodded, not as angry over the injustice as he should have been, "Clever, clever. So, we going to go there now?"

Penelope nodded and tugged on him, "Of course. Start walking."

* * *

><p>The Arkham doctor looked at the open solitary cell and back at Nigma, "In you go. I'll have someone bring you your food. Hope you enjoy your sta-"<p>

The butt of a gun crashing into the back of her skull knocked Penelope off her feet and she crashed to the ground. Hazily, she looked up to see Two-Face stepping over her and towards Nigma to remove his fellow inmate of his restraints.

Nigma shook his head and made a tsking noise before just plain laughing at the rapidly losing consciousness Penelope, "Sadly, doctor Young, my stay is short. Yours will be a bit longer though!" Penelope closed her eyes and fainted, still completely confused by what was happening as she drifted off. Riddler nodded to his much more physically capable partner and smiled, "Okay, place her in the cell and let's get moving on our plan."

Harvey nodded, tossing Penelope into the room carelessly since the last time the coin was flipped it came up scarred side. He could have done more harm, but he decided to rationalize why he did not, "We think Jonathan will be glad that you wrote protecting Young into the equation. It helps our plan though not having a pissed off Scarecrow."

Riddler nodded, but pointed to the exit of the room, "Exactly. Now, let's go! People to free, guards to kill."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Some may recognize this chapter as being the final Riddler patient interview tape with some nice additions._

_**GUESS WHAT! The reviewing system has changed! Now at the very bottom of a story there is a text box for your convenient use! Now there is literally no good excuse for not taking 30 seconds or more to let me know how you all feel about a chapter! I love hearing back about what you all think, but it saddens me that out of the hundreds of people that look at this that only about three to five generally let me know what you think. So, speak up and let me know about what it is that keeps you reading this! It will help me write better for you all if I know what you all like rather than what just a couple people like.**_

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	66. Session 66: Four Freedom

_A/N: For those who celebrate it, happy Fourth of July! For those who don't, good for you! I dislike the holiday since I don't enjoy fireworks, but I understand (kind of) why some others might enjoy the pretty explosions. Personally, I like the blue Stop and Shop cupcakes to be found at this time of year._

_Anyways, here it is folks! The chapter where a few of our Rogues take a bow and leave the Asylum! They will still be a part of the story of course, but not from within the asylum's walls. Hope you enjoy their great escape!_

_**Special thanks go out to Blacky391, licoricewolf, jason rulz death, Sango1316 and Scarecrow fangirl for the great reviews! Thanks also go to Frenetic-Kinetic for adding this to their favorites and alerts list!**_

_To Jason Rulz Death: Penelope will not be dying in this story, as my side-story "A Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" shows. I won't need a Lazarus Pit for her, but good idea anyways. She will get her own troubles and issues to deal with that might be a little worse than dying._

_Today's secret word: taser._

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

* * *

><p>Wandering through the dim lit halls of Arkham's solitude section, where a dozen rooms were filled with crazies who needed to be taught a lesson, was Frank Boles. The security guard took a swig from his alcohol flask and let out a contented sigh. He was on his fifth filling of the flask for that night alone, and yet he still felt like he hadn't had enough.<p>

"Stupid Cash telling me to clean up his effing mess…" his words were slurred and his eyes red, taking another swig before continuing, "bet they won't come looking for me here. No costumed freaks for me!"

The drunk guard's eyes caught sight of something in the hallway, something that stood out even to his addled mind, "An open cell? What are those damn guys paid for if they can't effing lock up?"

Boles approached the open door, staggering over to it at a slow pace. Once he stood in the open space of the door and where it was supposed to close, the drunk man grinned. Inside of the solitude cell was a woman wearing a doctor's uniform crumpled on the floor, "Hah, looky what we have here. Broads are always easier when they're outcold."

Boles took another swig before dropping his flask and took a step towards the unconscious woman. What Frank did not expect, however, was a whip to shoot out and wrap itself around his hips and groin. The drunken man turned as he heard someone say, "Try to use it and lose it."

"What the he-?"

The whip tugged Frank towards his assailant and spun him around. The almost senseless man was able to feel a fist crash into his throat before a knee collided with his stomach. The fake cat ears told Boles who was fighting, and a kick to the face sent him reeling to the ground with that knowledge. Catwoman grinned at the crumpled man, "And stay down you dog."

Boles weakly rolled over and spat out blood as he tried to sit up, "Meow, motherf-"

Catwoman's whip cracked and wrapped itself around the guard's throat, Selina speaking harshly as he began to choke, "Wrong animal. Meow is reserved for precious cats, not dirty dogs like you."

As Boles asphyxiated into unconsciousness, Selina released the whip and had a thought cross her mind about her own dear cat, "I wonder how Isis is doing? Poor kitty must be so lonely."

The cat thief shrugged, "I think Eddie and Harvey were a little bit early. Guess I'll just skip checking in with them and go visit mister ten below."

* * *

><p>Warden Sharp slammed his cane into the floor, "Cash! What the blazes is going on here?"<p>

The head of security turned to face the Warden from the monitor he had been pouring over, "Sir, Victor Fries has gotten a hold of his suit somehow and is breaking through our security like a slow glacier. Our men are being annihilated by him."

The mayor candidate clenched one hand hard as he seethed, "And what of the other damn alarms? How many breakouts have there been?"

Cash frowned as he thought about how badly this was going to reflect upon him, "Two-Face has escaped his cell and Riddler hasn't been returned to his cell. Doctor Young is missing as well. Our men are trying to find them but they haven't come up with anything yet."

Quincy Sharp was not pleased with the situation, and he did not want this to happen while he was still waiting to be elected mayor, "Well go and search too! I won't have this many criminals escaping my asylum at the same time, it'll cripple my mayoral campaign!"

"Yes sir, but what about your own security-?" The one handed security chief was cut off by a wave of his boss' hand.

"I'll be fine, just go and find those monsters! Who knows what they're doing right this moment!"

* * *

><p>"Nigma, now is not the time to be placing your stupid trophies around-"<p>

Nigma kept stretching his arm out as he tried to reach through some bars to place his trophy in just the right place, "What? Now is the perfect time! You see, I had the trophy," he pointed to the object in his hand, "and I had a place to put it!" and then pointed to his hiding spot for the green and glowing object.

Gotham's former DA Harvey Dent shook his head in exasperation, "You're hopeless."

* * *

><p>Catwoman stretched out like a feline as she waited for the door keeping her associate from leaving his cell block to open via the code Nigma had given her. As the door opened and a hulking figure emerged she yawned, "Hey Snow Miser, you ready?"<p>

Victor Fries nodded to her, fully suited in his armor and armed with his freeze gun, "Have you finished taking out the prominent security guards?"

Selina smiled smugly, a moment that would have fulfilled Mad Hatter's Cheshire Cat fantasies for a good year or two, "Of course. Only Cash is left, and he should be coming our way soon," glancing at Freeze's signature weapon the feline themed woman rose an eyebrow, "How's the ammo on that thing?"

Victor started to walk past Selina and towards the direction they needed to go to, "It is fine. I have more than enough to turn this entire Asylum into a winter wonderland."

Catwoman nodded but spoke in a reserved tone, "Okay, but don't. We agreed that we would have as little casualties as possible."

The monotone voice associated with Freeze always crept Catwoman out a little, as it gave her the feeling she was speaking to a robot rather than a human, "I know, which is why I haven't gotten out of here yet. It is much more difficult not to kill them with this gun than it is to kill them," tilting his domed helmet towards the group of guards down the hallway from them, he asked, "Would you mind doing your stealth thing and speeding up this process?"

Catwoman caught sight of a handy ventilation shaft nearby and grinned, "Just keep the ones with guns focused on you, and watch where you aim!"

Freeze leveled his weapon at the distant guards, "Don't worry. I don't intend to have a kitten popsicle for a teammate."

* * *

><p>Two-Face laughed maniacally as someone he was shooting at hit the ground dead, "We're gonna get this party started," he ducked behind a small piece of cover as the guards returned fire. Looking at his partner, Two-Face groaned when he saw that the green clad man was still fiddling with his trophy, "Be quick with that damn thing."<p>

"Sure!" Riddler replied in a mixture of amusement and sarcasm.

Two-Face took another shot at the guards, but the fact was that they were using rifles and he was restricted to his .22 pistol. Their concentrated greater fire was not going to fare well for him and Nigma if things didn't change quickly. A stray shot from one of the guards collided with Nigma's bowler hat and knocked it off of his head, "Watch where you are shooting, you buffoons!"

The narcissist reached into his back pocket and took out a small device. A click of a button later he laughed, "Maybe this will even the odds a little."

The device Riddler had pulled out did it's job and soon after a large explosion tore through the area where the guards had been standing, injuring them all as well as crumbling the ground beneath them and sending them into the floor below, "Oooh, that's got to hurt!"

Two-Face frowned, a little miffed that Nigma had not just done that from the beginning but still relieved that the guards were taken care of there, "You done?"

Nigma finished placing his trophy and nodded, "Yeah, I'm done. Let's go."

* * *

><p>A silent removal of a vent cover led to the silent removal of a guard standing by it. Catwoman finished choking the man and laid him down behind an oddly placed shelf in the hallway before whispering, "One."<p>

Creeping up on one of the guards firing at the damage soaker known as Victor Fries, Catwoman clasped a hand over his mouth and tripped him before elbowing his face and removing him from the land of the conscious, "Two."

Selina watched as a freeze blast collided with a man and plastered him to the wall, "Three."

Running at the last of the guards in the area, Selina leapt and brought him to the floor with her own body colliding with his. As he tried to stand she choked him out with her thighs, and after some momentary struggling he stopped resisting and she stood up, "And that makes four."

A slight crack hinted Catwoman to move from where she stood, an icicle falling from the ceiling from a stray shot of Freeze and nearly impaling the man she had just incapacitated, "Hey! Watch it!"

Freeze shook his head as he approached his fellow escapee, "That was a result of your own carelessness. I suggest you be more careful and pay attention."

Catwoman hissed at him as he drew closer, "_I_ be more careful, tin man?"

The cold man stared at her with his red goggles covering whatever emotion one could find on his frozen face, "Now is not the time to have an argument, miss Kyle. Let's keep moving."

"Whatever," Selina turned and started a brisk pace towards the exit of the building while he lumbered behind her.

As the duo walked out the front doors with no more resistance, Catwoman surveyed the grounds of Arkham for security. Sure enough, there were three teams roaming the grounds and two snipers up in their towers, as Nigma had said there would be. Nodding over to one of the security teams, Catwoman said to her partner, "I'll take them out. You focus on those snipers."

"You mean as we planned over the course of weeks?" Freeze said in a voice that was as close to dry humor as he could manage.

"Shut up and shoot."

* * *

><p>As Harvey turned around a corner he was met with a guard pointing a gun straight at his scarred face, "Drop the gun Two-Face!"<p>

Thinking about what to do for a moment, Harvey complied and tossed his .22 to the ground a few feet to his own side, "Sure, sure."

The guard went to go grab the gun, a fatal move as Two-Face withdrew a second gun from his clothes and fired at the crouching man, "Hah! We have two guns you son of a bitch! You seriously should have seen that coming."

Riddler rose an eyebrow and mocked Harvey, "So, Dent, you done?"

"Are we done? We wouldn't have run into this punk if you hadn't taken your time!" Two-Face roared angrily. Seeing something, he took a breath to calm down as he pointed his gun at Nigma, "Hold still."

The Riddler's eyes went wide as Harvey pulled the trigger twice, "Ahhh!"

After a moment of realizing that he wasn't dead, Nigma turned and saw two wounded guards behind him, "Phew, for a second I thought you were firing at me!"

Harvey shrugged as he blew the smoke away from the end of his gun, "Our aim was a little off. It won't happen again."

Riddler crossed his arms, "Haha, very funny."

Two-Face pulled out his coin and looked at in in a moment of reflection, "We're beginning to think that our coin has been rigged. Sure, it came up badside a little while ago when we dumped Young in that cell instead of leaving her with some security members, but we've been flipping good side too much."

Rubbing his chin for a moment about how to satiate Two-Face's need for balance, Riddler came up with a great idea. He picked up the fallen .22 and handed it to Harvey before pointing at one of the two men who had just been shot and wounded, "Shoot this man and feel better."

Two-Face obliged, shooting the man dead and in his mind balancing the scales of good deeds and evil deeds. As his colleague continued to shoot the guard, Riddler sighed, "I'm feeling a bit bad about our dear doctor. She may have just threatened to kill me earlier, but she seems to be the perfect girlfriend for our friend Jonathan."

Two-Face turned to face Riddler in confusion, "She threatened to kill you? Maybe she is more like us than she would like to think. Too bad she isn't more athletic or she would make a good Fearqueen or whatever 'Crow would call her."

Riddler smiled at the thought of a Scarecrow duo, bringing fear to the streets of Gotham and eradicating all those stupid enough to be caught by their fear toxin, "Screamqueen?"

"Scaremistress?" Harvey tried playfully.

"Fearmistre-Whatever, not happening," Riddler ended the conversation, "What are we going to do though when poor Jonathan is a reformed little Scarecrow? I mean, he's whipped as it is, right?"

Two-Face showed the scarred side of his coin to Riddler, "Tip him back over to our side?"

"And have to deal with his psycho Scarecrow side again? No thank you. I've been subject to weaker strains of fear gas and I would not want to be the cause behind him going psycho again. That stuff _bites_."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Harvey was actually interested in what they would be doing in regards to their reformed friend.

Riddler formed an O with his mouth and his eyes lit up, "I just got a great idea!"

"What?"

Riddler snapped his fingers as his light bulb hung above his head, "You see, I was researching Jonathan's living area when he was going to be released and I just remembered a great little fact. How much money in cash do you have outside of this place?"

Harvey did a mental calculation before he came up with a number, "A few million," wondering what plan of Riddler's would need _his_ money, Two-Face asked, "why?"

"That'll do! Want to play a great trick on our dear psychologist duo?"

* * *

><p>A guard heard a scream from one of the sniper towers and turned towards it, "What the-"<p>

Catwoman spun a kick aimed right at the man's head, cutting him and his confusion off as he fell to the ground unconscious. The rest of his team was also watching the other sniper tower being turned to ice and did not notice at all as Catwoman crept up behind another one of them.

The sniper on the tower screamed as another blast from Freeze's ray gun sent him careening off of the tower and plummeting to the ground, "AHHHHH!"

The squad of guards turned towards where the freeze blasts were coming from now, not noticing that three of their seven were now down, "What is going on here? How are they doing this?"

Tapping two of the men on the shoulders, Catwoman whispered, "Better watch your step boys."

They turned to face her, but below their feet was a growing patch of ice. Catwoman had asked Freeze for something to use to trip people up easily and he had come up with a miniature freeze grenade, the effects of which the four remaining guards were about to find out, "Huh? It's Catwoma-aaaaaan!"

The four men all slipped and slid until they hit the frosty ground, awaiting Catwoman to individually punch each and every one out.

As Selina moved onto the last guy and drew her fist back, she smiled at his playfully, "You guys really suck at your jobs, don't you?"

Elsewhere on Arkham's grounds, Mister Freeze was finding himself in a little bit of a situation. Standing beneath the sniper tower, Aaron Cash and some of his men all pointed their weapons at the man in his suit, "Stay right there Freeze! We have you surrounded!"

Freeze tried to laugh, but it came out as if he was a robot who knew not of what humor was, "Surrounded? I think you underestimate me."

Cash kept his gun trained on Freeze, almost wishing that the madman would shoot and thus provoke him, "What are you blathering about?"

Freeze's suit had powerful sensors on it, sensors powerful enough that they had let him listen in on Catwoman a moment ago, "As my associate said a moment ago, watch your step."

The security head with a hook for a hand tilted his head in confusion, "What?" a thought coming to mind, he looked up and saw that there were many, many icicles large enough to skewer a man's entire abdomen hanging above him and his men on the sniper tower, "Everyone, the icicles!"

His men quivered around him, unsure if moving would agitate the icicles and send everyone to their deaths, "Cash, what do we do?"

"Get to some other cover! Quickly!" All of the officers made a break for it, the icicles above them breaking off and crashing into some of them as they all tried to escape. Cash angrily shot at Freeze as he ran out from the sniper tower's cover, but the bullets reflected off of the icy man's armor. Freeze in turn fired back at him, missing due to a last second dodge by Cash, but still hitting one of the other guards. Cash looked around him and saw that his team was in shambles, horrified about how badly this was going, "We stand no chance against that walking tank! Grab someone and make a run for it!"

Freeze lifted his gun towards the air and stopped firing as Catwoman appeared beside him, "Seems like they are beginning to get the picture," turning to face her, he stated rather than asked, "Miss Kyle."

"On it!"

Cash and his men spent the next few moments getting clawed and beaten by the delightful Rogue known as Catwoman, said Rogue only knocking them out but still heavily wounding them all. Once they all lay on the ground in various states of injury Catwoman left and headed to the door keeping them from the part of the island they were trying to get to, Freeze having already lumbered over while she had been fighting.

Freeze looked at the door and then down at the control panel, "Now, the door should open in a moment if Nigma came through for us. If not, I can break it down with this suit's strength."

The door clicked and began to open to both the villains' delight, "Seems like Eddie hasn't lost his touch, Fries."

As the door opened, another couple guards on the other side of it noticed the black clad waif and the machine like man were _not_ guards, "Hey! It's the-"

Freeze let loose a stream of his freeze gun, the ice slamming into the men and pinning them to their walll with a torrent of frozen water. Catwoman looked up at her partner and let out a long whistle, impressed, "Wow, remind me not to tick you off."

Freeze sneered, "After we finish breaking through there will be no need for you to be reminded, it will just be in your nature to not anger me."

* * *

><p>"Huh?"<p>

Penelope rubbed the back of her head as she sat up. She had no idea where she was or why she was there, and her head hurt. To her pleasure she was fully clothed, something worth worrying about in a place like where she worked. Looking around the closed room she was in she saw the unconscious Frank Boles and nothing else.

"Where am I?"

After thinking hard for a minute, it struck Penelope what had happened and who had put her there, "Damnit, Nigma trapped me in here!"

"Wait…he left me alive…why? And why is that creep Boles here?"

Penelope's questions were not to be answered though, for the only person in her company was an unconscious drunkard and she was locked within the room. Outside of it however she heard a voice she only knew slightly belonging to the man known as Roman Sionis. This sent a shiver down Penelope's side as Sionis was an inmate, and an inmate being loose was _not_ a good thing. She fumbled through her clothes to find a certain device kept on her person for security reasons while Roman spoke, "My brethren! You have been locked up far too long! Swear loyalty to me, Black Mask, and I shall free you and we will take over Gotham!"

The man who wore a black wooden mask continued speaking to the people in solitary, all of whom he believed to be inmates, "This chip I have for you all ensures your loyalty to me, for with a flick of a button I can end your life. So, shall you stand by me and help me take over Gotham's underworld, or will you defy me and rot away in here?

Dull chanting arose from some of the cells, only able to be heard out in the hallway where Sionis was, "Black Mask! Black Mask!"

Roman Sionis chose a door at random and opened it, "You are first. Now, will you join me or will you-"

Penelope Young reached out to the confused man, who hadn't expected to see a doctor, and pointed the device she had been looking for at him, "Taser."

The Black Mask was befuddled as he looked down and asked, "Taser-?"

A powerful electric jolt later, Roman Sionis was joining Frank Boles in the cell. Penelope leaned down and stuck her tongue out at the man, "Take that!" an idea crossed her mind as she looked over his creepy mask. With both hands Penelope removed the black mask of Black Mask. Looking it over in her hands again, she grinned before sticking her tongue out again, "Not so cool without your mask, are you? I think I'll be keeping this as a trophy."

* * *

><p>Having finally broken through to the front doors and gate, Two-Face decided to ask his partner about their driving situation, "Car?"<p>

"The van from the plan should be right over," Nigma looked around before catching sight of their getaway vehicle, an ice cream van, "there!"

Nigma and Two-Face jumped into the driver's and passenger's seats respectively before they heard a knocking on the car's back.

Riddler leant his head out the window as he unlocked the doors, "Who is it?"

Freeze sighed as he opened the back and climbed in, "I do not wish to know how you managed to get an ice cream van here in the middle of winter Nigma without anyone noticing it all day."

Catwoman didn't get into the car, but strolled over to the smaller vehicle beside it.

Riddler smiled as the master thief climbed atop of her getaway 'car', "And the motorcycle for Selina! Distract Batman for a bit, okay?"

Catwoman nodded before revving her engine and blasting towards the path that led away from Arkham Island. Riddler turned the keys in their slots and the car started, but the noise of gunfire killed his mood.

"Really? They couldn't just damn let us go at this point?"

Freeze stuck his gun out the back and grabbed a hold of the van's side, "They won't bother us long. Drive."

Nigma cackled as Freeze began to both shoot their pursuers and freeze the cars they could possibly catch up to them in, "And off we go!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: For those wondering about the part with Black Mask, I thought it was a bit odd that a doctor like Young had his mask in her office. So I created a scenario for that! Anyways, that's where the keyword taser came in. Poor Sionis. You aren't important enough to this story to be able to take more than one taser shock._

_What is the Riddler planning for Jonathan and Penelope? What is his prank that he wants to pull? Well, if you have a profile and you leave a review I might just be tempted enough to tell you!_

_Hey everyone, the review system here has changed a bit. In a good way. it's now even easier for you to leave me your thoughts and opinions. Now, I want you all to know something. It really helps me when you let me know how you all are thinking and how to improve the story for you, but I usually only hear from less than **five of you**. This is sad since there are **seven hundred of you**. I want to hear what you all have to say and think! Be it a question, thought, or idea, I would love to hear from you all! So please leave me your feedback, it helps me make the story better for you all!_

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	67. Session 67: The Two Detectives Return

_A/N: Well, this chapter will be interesting...who here knows about the television channel "The Hub"? Don't know it? You'll see why I am bringing it up, as well as get an explanation at the bottom._

_Special thanks go out to Seven-of-storms, Ozwolf, Scarecrow Fangirl, Licoricewolf (for trying to point out an error that is not actually an error), and Jason Rulz Death for the reviews! There was also a VERY kind **anonymous review** that I would like to thank, for I would feel bad for not acknowledging their lengthy and very generous review. So, the person who wrote the review for chapter 63 starting with this "I absolutely adored the character interactions in this chapter. Let's start with everyone's favorite riddle lover. First off, I find it very interesting you chose not to have Eddie get along with Harley. In a lot of fics, people seem to have them be vitriolic best buds. I feel like it goes really well with Arkham Riddler's very big ego (not that any Riddler has a small ego per se) narcissism, and intense compulsion to be the best...", **thank you very much, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story, and I hope to hear from you again in the future!**_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

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><p>As the night grew darker Jonathan groaned as he lay on Penelope's couch in her living room waiting for her to come home. She had said she would bring home food and he didn't want to eat before she did so, but that didn't help his stomach hurt any less. She was supposed to be home an hour and a half ago and Jonathan was worried that something had caught her up at work. Possible worse things could have occurred, given that she worked at Arkham, and Jonathan was trying to not dwell on those possibilities.<p>

To settle himself down, he had turned on the television and had been watching some shows that were not serious dramas like those murder and criminal shows that had become popular during his stay at Arkham. Scarecrow was screaming in the back of his mind to change the channel, but Jonathan ignored him and watched his television shows. Jonathan knew he could call Young and see how she was in that way, but when he had tried that she hadn't picked up. Another reason for him to worry, and another reason to pay attention to his shows.

Jonathan thumbed the clicker to start the next episode from the 'on demand' channel. As he started to place it down, he was yanked out of his seat and into the air, leading him to scream in confusion and fear. As he looked in the dark room at whomever was picking him up, Jonathan groaned at the sight of Gotham's main vigilante.

Batman clenched Jonathan by the throat, narrowing his eyes at the former criminal, "What do you know about Nigma, Dent and Fries' escape from Arkham tonight? What contact have you had?"

"Seriously? Why would I have anything to do with them now that I'm free? I didn't even know they got out until you just said it!" Jonathan choked out, Batman's hand crushing his neck.

Batman clenched tighter, not convinced by Jonathan, "Answer the question. Have you had any contact with them?"

Jonathan struggled to get free for a moment before he realized he couldn't break free, "No! Of course not. Now let me grab the phone and see if doctor Young is still among the living, Batman! I am not interested in fighting you anymore, not interested in gassing people and I don't want revenge anymore, I promise! Just let me see if she is alright."

Batman released the wiry man and glared at him as Jonathan stumbled back and tried to get his footing, "Answer this then. Why should I believe you?"

Jonathan stammered, "I…I don't know how to explain it to you, but doctor Young helped me get better. Like, you know, she was supposed to. I would not do anything that could lead to her harm, and I want to stay straight. No more experiments, no more people being hurt and no more master of terror," the former man of fear stated resolutely.

Batman stopped and looked at Jonathan carefully, reading the pale man's face for any hinting of deception and any hints of truth. Silence ensued as the Dark Knight did his study, a silence that unnerved Jonathan. The only things moving in the room were the colorful figures on the television, spewing light into the otherwise pitch black room.

Jonathan decided to add something else to his statement that might just convince Batman to lay off, "If you are not convinced yet about me wanting to go straight, how about this? I'll keep doing my thing here, and I don't tell everyone your identity, Wayne."

There was the slightest trace of fear when Batman realized that one of his enemies, former if he was to be believed, knew who the man was behind the cowl. Bruce Wayne decided that he had nothing to gain in the house and decided to concede this round to Crane, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop Crane from spilling his secret short of killing him, "If anything causes me to suspect you of still being the Scarecrow, I will find you and send you back to Arkham faster than you can scream. And if that happens, I will look more into doctor Young to see how exactly she pulled the strings for your release and why. Follow the law, follow your parole, and don't cause harm to anyone, and I'll stay out of your hair and hers as she continues to help you get back on your feet. Am I clear?"

Jonathan nodded as the Dark Knight stalked towards the window and began to leave, "Crystal."

As the brooding vigilante left, Jonathan let out a breath of relief. He ignored the television as he walked to the phone. After dialing one of the numbers Jonathan heard a loud and obtrusive rapping of knuckles on the front door, "Who the blazes is it now?"

Jonathan put the phone down and walked briskly over to the door. Upon opening it a man with a detective's fedora strolled into the room rudely, "Don't mind me, searching for your escaped convict friends."

Jonathan slapped his own forehead as Sam Bradley Junior pushed past him and began to look around the room. Outside in the hallway were a couple cops, but they seemed to be looking around to see if there was going to be commotion in the hallway, criminal commotion, "Oh great, now you too."

Bradley turned to Jonathan and rose an eyebrow quizzically, "I take it that you've had someone else visit you?"

Jonathan frowned at the detective, "The Batman just took his leave. I doubt you could find anything or get me to talk any better than him. I don't know anything about the breakout, and right now I just want to call and see if Young is okay!"

The detective turned and looked at the phone in the room, "Or are you trying to contact your recently freed friends?"

Jonathan blinked confusedly, "Friends? Are we talking about the same group of people?"

Sam Bradley nodded and spoke venomously, "I am talking about that pathetic babbler Nigma, the delusional and idiotic Harvey Dent, and the frosty guy who just can't damn move on from his wife. There is also talk that Selina Kyle, known to you as Catwoman most likely, has escaped but that has not been confirmed yet in all the confusion. You've been seen conversing with these criminals in the past, so I presumed you were on good terms."

"Good terms?" Jonathan asked rhetorically. He felt something he had not felt for some time rise within him, something along the lines of camaraderie for his fellow criminals, and having them besmirched by this no-name detective angered, "Yes, good enough that I shall ask you to not insult them the way you have, but they are not my friends in any regards. Not from my perspective at least," Jonathan sneered and glared at Bradley as he went on, "And for the record, not being able to comprehend a riddle does not make it babbling, having a identity disorder as a result from abuse does not make one idiotic, and the loss of a loved one is something that I believe you can't comprehend if you cannot sympathize with Fries. Now get to your damn point, or get out."

"Your impertinence will be noted in my investigation. Now, what is it that you know about the breakout and the escaped villains that can assist my investigation into the manner?"

Jonathan shrugged, "I do believe that you won't be finding anything here. Don't you need a warrant or something to barge in here and start looking anyways?"

Sam sneered back at Jonathan, "I have one. All I needed to do was talk to a judge whose son you harmed with your fear gas. Payback is a bitch, Crane."

"Well then, are you going to go through Penelope's room, find nothing, and then leave me be?" Jonathan replied in a bored tone.

Bradley walked into the doctor's room and checked it out before doing the same with her bathroom. He searched the entire house in silence and in growing anger as no escaped inmates turned up.

As the detective walked into the living room again and prepared to inform Crane that he was on thin ice, Sam's eye caught something on the television. It was currently on a commercial break, but he saw the channel and rose an eyebrow.

The detective turned to face Jonathan, who was standing by the phone and beginning to dial it, "The Hub? Seriously? You like kids stuff?"

Jonathan's eyes went wide as he thought about what he had left on the television, and a quick glance gave him some relief because of the commercial break, "The Batman attacked me while I was flipping the channels, informed me about the breakout and then you arrived before I could check to see if Young was okay. Her safety takes precedence over flipping the channel off of this embarrassing channel."

Scarecrow clenched his fists in anger, _"LIAR"_

Sam Bradley's eyebrow rose higher as he spoke in a critical fashion, walking towards the exit, "Whatever you say. I'll be back if I have anything more to ask you about your criminal associates."

Jonathan nodded and crossed his arms, slightly angered, "Well, until then, good day to you sir. I have something important to handle and I believe I have had enough of your witchhunt."

Stopping in the doorway, Sam turned his head back and grinned maliciously, "Speaking of witches, tell Young that in the coming weeks I'll be looking into her work to check for any possible breaches in ethics codes."

Scarecrow decided to be amused easily that night, just happy about how exciting it all was and happy that he wasn't forced to endure the television anymore, _"Haha, he called her a witch! Bane does that in Spanish! Want to tie her to a pole and light it on fire? That would be fun, right?"_

Jonathan ignored his alternate personality and walked towards the detective slowly, "Sir, I believe you have overstayed your welcome. Please take another step forward and get out of this house."

Just as Bradley took another step out the door, Jonathan slammed the door shut.

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><p><em>AN: Okay, this may require a little bit of explaining for a few of you. The Hub is a relatively new channel that has many good shows on it. All of which are kids shows. Want to know something fun?** Batman the animated series is on the Hub, along with Batman Beyond**. That's why I chose it for this. Now, I will say this: Batman is not on the 'on demand' menu. There are other shows on the Hub though...Transformers G1, Transformers Prime, Transformers Rescue Bots, GI Joe, Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony Friendship is magic all feature there as well! **So...out of those, which do you think was causing Scarecrow excruciating pain? Love to hear what your guesses are...**_

_I felt that I needed to bring back Slam Bradley since I actually forgot about him while writing this particular arc. Yeah...I sent him to the library after Jonathan, but he never showed up. I'll handle it in the story but I honestly forgot. _

**_Now, question to all of you artists out there! Would anyone be willing to use a template I found for this story and use it for Jonathan and Penelope? Template link can be found ON MY PROFILE AT TOP_**

_If I can find someone for it, it will become the official art for the story (possibly even the image for it). If you are interested, please message me and send me an example of your previous work. Thank you all of you who respond to this request, and I will try to find some way to repay you!_

_Hey everyone, the review system here has changed a bit. In a good way. iIt's now even easier for you to leave me your thoughts and opinions. Now, I want you all to know something. It really helps me when you let me know how you all are thinking and how to improve the story for you, but I usually only hear from less than **five of you**. This is sad since there are **seven hundred of you**. I want to hear what you all have to say and think! Be it a question, thought, or idea, I would love to hear from you all! So please leave me your feedback, it helps me make the story better for you all!_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	68. 68: My Little Secret, Not Very Secret

_A/N: Okay, I seriously hope I am being obvious enough for most of you in this chapter. Given what I said at the end of the last one, just imagine what was torturing Scarecrow. By the end you all should have a pretty clear idea..._

_Special thanks go out to Eeemkaaayy, Nurse Joy (times four!), Licoricewolf (for a reason to be stated below), Scarecrow fangirl, Ozwolf, Jason rulz Death, Chaoslord, Hoid, and Bashlei for all their great and helpful reviews! Special thanks also to Jason Rulz Death for referring Chaoslord, as well as guessing correctly what Jonathan was watching on his third try. You guys all rock!_

_Thank you to those of you who offered to do the official art for this story. Licoricewolf will be doing it for us, so a round of applause for them!_

_Any Bat/Cat fans here? Well, this chapter is for you! Well, the first part anyways. The rest is literally filler fluff that will lead to something in about two sequels but for now is just to amuse you all. Have fun!_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

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><p>Batman swung from doctor Young's window towards a higher building, his grappling hook pulling him through the night sky. His interrogation with Crane was over with and he still had loose Rogues to handle, all of whom were still fresh out of Arkham and in a grace period where it was easiest to catch them. They could not have found and settled in a makeshift hideout yet so now was the time to find them. Batman climbed atop of the rooftop he had grappled to, but he was not alone atop it.<p>

The dark knight jumped to the side to dodge the hand that was put towards him, but quickly stopped when he noticed the familiar dark costume and the whip that hadn't been used on him. Instead, Catwoman reached out to his new position and began to run a hand over his chest, "Hey dark and handsome, what are you doing in this part of town?"

Batman grunted as he pushed her hand away gently, "Dropping in on an old acquaintance."

Catwoman gave him a big grin with her face while both her hands now reached out and contacted with the brooding man, "Oooh, you thinking that Johnny is up to something? Let me warn you. He isn't. He really does seem to be going straight."

Batman decided that if he could get information out of one of the newly escaped Rogues he would be well off, and if it meant letting this voluptuous woman hug him he would endure it. It was for the mission. Not because he liked it, he reassured himself, it was for his mission of stopping crime in Gotham, "Oh really?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Selina purred, "Jonathan is not my favorite Rogue here by far, although I do feel sorry for the poor man at times."

The dark knight narrowed his gaze, "I am surprised that you haven't laid low yet."

"Surprise surprise, I kind of actually wanted to run into you," she ended this statement with a kiss on the lips. Batman's mind went blank for a moment. He did suppose that it had been awhile since she had gotten the chance to see him, but he didn't respond physically to her at all. She was used to that though and continued to run her hands over his body.

Trying to ignore the physical sensations on his body, Batman took the first thing to come to his mind and said it aloud, "Custom dye job."

Selina looked down at her black colored prison outfit, noting the way it was partially unzipped down the front and smiling, before removing a hand from Batman and touching the red goggles on her forehead, "Yeah, the whole orange jumpsuit wasn't my thing. No mention of my kitty goggles?"

He grunted again, looking at the woman as emotionlessly as he could manage, "They are odd and unnecessary. They don't conceal your identity anymore and they alter your vision in a less than tolerable way."

"Aww, I'm touched. You studied my gear. See anything you like?" She replied with a sultry voice.

Batman let out a breath akin to a sigh, "I study every criminal's arsenal, including every last of the inmates at Arkham and the few Rogues I would normally leave at Blackgate."

Catwoman frowned at him and crossed her arms over her partially exposed bust, "You know how to kill the mood. Now you've applied my innocent innuendo to people like the Joker and Ivy. Nice job."

The dark knight shook his head, having had enough of the more playful side of their relationship, "You going to come easily?"

Selina shrugged with a devilish look on her face, "I've never done so easily in the past, although a man like you might make it a little faster."

This did nothing to improve Batman's grim look, "Must it always be a double entandre?"

His response only encouraged Selina, "They must be working if I got you trying to tell me to stop."

Batman shook his head and replied in a slightly exasperated voice, "So, how much of my time are you going to waste playing bat and mouse?"

Catwoman pretended to count in her head before responding with another double entandre, "Usually, about twenty minutes. It'll take you about ten until you're done with me though."

Batman pushed the woman off him gently and lifted his grappling hook towards a higher building, "I'm going to go catch Two-Face. I would either start being helpful or start hiding if I were you."

Selina looked at him with a hurt look, "Leaving so soon?" As his gas powered grappling hook launched and he waited for it to contact with the other roof, Catwoman grabbed onto him, "Hey, wait up!"

Batman grunted as he swung to the next rooftop with a passenger slowly. Selina laughed as he pulled them both onto the roof with one arm and held her with the other. Once they were on the roof Catwoman asked, "Want some help finding Two-Face?"

Batman hadn't expected her to take him up on his suggestion of helping him, "You did just break out with him. Why would you help me?"

"To protect Gotham from the villainous scum that now plagues it?" She said with a hint of sarcasm.

His humorless expression killed her mood again, "Funny. Now, what do you want Selina?"

"How about I help you catch him and then you let me get that ruby I tried to get last time I was a free woman?" She asked hopefully.

He shook his head and scowled, "You still aren't a free woman. You broke out, but you're going back after I've dealt with the Rogues with higher kill counts."

Thinking of the plan Harley had been talking about for Selina to score points with the vigilante, Selina decided to offer her services simply for relationship points, "How about I do it out of goodwill?"

Batman still was not believing that this selfish woman would do something of the sort, "Then Victor has tampered with hell."

Catwoman scowled back at him, "Hey now, haven't I helped you out in the past? Why can't you believe that I would help you now?"

The dark knight paused for a moment before responding, "Fine. But if you turn out to be double crossing me, you're going back to Arkham tonight."

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><p>Jonathan's ears perked up when the front door opened and a familiar voice rang out, getting up and stopping the video he was watching, "Jonathan! I'm home," Penelope looked around in the dark for the light switch, the only light in the dark house being from the television, "Hello? You home Jonathan?"<p>

As Penelope's finger hit the light switch she found herself embraced by her former patient, "I'm so glad you're okay. When I heard about the breakout I thought that you might have been hurt. Arkham's phone lines were down and I couldn't reach you."

Penelope blushed as her lanky lover wrapped his skinny limbs around her and she reached her own ones around him, "I'm okay Jonathan, really," a thought coming to mind, Penelope reached into her bag, "And I brought us a trophy!"

Jonathan looked down and found a familiar object in his dear doctor's hands, "Black Mask's mask? How did you get it?"

The doctor laughed as she remembered how well Sionis had dealt with her personal defense weapon, "He was on the receiving end of a taser, and I decided to take it."

Jonathan didn't pick up that she had been the one to use the taser, but he was more worried about what having a criminal's favorite possession and identity meant, "Aren't you worried he'll want it back?"

Penelope shrugged, "Not really. My guess is that he isn't going to around telling people he lost his mask to me, so he'll likely just make another. Good thing this thing wasn't melded with his face like some newspapers say or else I would have just committed murder."

Jonathan pecked Penelope's forehead with his lips, "Then it would be my turn to counsel you."

Penelope lifted up her head and grazed Jonathan's lips with her own, "Wouldn't that be interesting," looking past Jonathan and towards the television, Penelope asked, "Whatcha watching?"

"No-nothing," Jonathan stammered, realizing in an 'oh crap' manner that he hadn't fully exited the menu he was in and thus the channel he had been watching on demand was fully visible.

Scarecrow decided to throw in his own two cents and face palmed while he complained, _"Hell Jonathan, caught again? I'm glad you're about to be embarrassed for your stupidity and lack of the ability to cover up your guilty pleasures. You deserve it for making me suffer through that garbage."_

Penelope squinted and caught the title of the channel, "The Hub? Isn't that for kids?"

Jonathan swallowed his breath nervously as she left his arms to go investigate the television, "How would you know that?"

She laughed as she thought about what Jonathan must have been watching. Penelope hypothesized that he would be a Transformers boy. Maybe even a fan of the Batman animated series that was so popular. She picked up the remote and turned to face Jonathan, "I have been bored while holding the remote before. I've gone through all my channels."

Turning back to the television, her eye caught something, "On demand? Please tell me you chose free on demand Jonathan?"

Her boyfriend crossed his arms indignantly and turned his head away, "Of course."

Inspecting it further, Penelope found another interesting piece of information on the television, "Hah! You were in the kids section! Called it!"

"No I was not! It was just an accident! My hand slipped when I heard the door open!"

Scarecrow pointed a hand at Jonathan, who was trying to ignore his replica, _"You're fucked. I can't wait to see your pretty little girlfriend learn that her dear boyfriend is a pathetic loser."_

Clicking on the remote, Penelope said aloud, "Last played video-"

Jonathan covered his eyes while Penelope gaped at what came up, "Oh…oh my. Are those-"

Jonathan let out a long breath and cut her off, rubbing her on the back while he spoke, "Penelope. I will kill you if you tell anyone. Going back to Arkham would be worth it."

Penelope nodded wordlessly as she tried to think of something to say. After brief consideration she "My lips are sealed. I wouldn't have, uh, pegged you as-"

Jonathan pointed a finger at her and said childishly, "Don't you say it. It was all just an accident."

"Fine. We'll go with that," Penelope said snarkily with a giggle, "So, you hungry my little Scarecrow?"

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><p>In the living room after having said goodnight to his girlfriend, Jonathan was confined to his own thoughts, but he still wasn't alone. Standing across the room was the very irate Scarecrow, who was busy ranting to Jonathan about what he had just experienced, "What the hell did you make me sit through!"<p>

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders as he relaxed on the couch and thanked that despite having a little chuckle Penelope was fine with what he chose to watch given that she watched it too on occasion, "It wasn't all that bad actually."

"Okay, Transformers at least had shit blowing up! That! That was an abomination!" Scarecrow growled angrily.

Jonathan remembered fondly the show he had been watching earlier with giant robots causing entire cities to run in terror, "I admit, I enjoyed Transformers too, but quit being such a baby. The animation was good and it was actually kind of fun-"

Scarecrow scoffed, "You disappoint me! My own self, watching that filth and enjoying it! Woe is me! I am going to go an do something extremely heinous when I get in control just to compensate for this tragedy."

A thought came to Jonathan's mind concerning the show and how it related to his other half, "If I remember correctly, you like riding horses during rampages to emulate the headless horseman and his hellish stallion. And since I am arguably the angel of the two of us, it would make sense that I would-"

"Don't say it! I will kill your girlfriend if you so much as breath a word of it!" Scarecrow yelled.

"I bet you're just too afraid-"

"I am the Scarecrow! I fear nothing!"

Jonathan smiled, "Then prove it when I watch the next episode."

Scarecrow's head dropped and hung, his shoulders slumping in defeat, "Know what? Get your medication. Put me out of my misery. I want to go kill some destitute people that no-one will notice missing, but noooooo, instead I have to watch little kids shows with you," he let out a angry growl as he continued on, "What happened to us? Do you not like the sound of people screaming in fear and agony anymore?"

Jonathan nodded simply, "Correct."

"Well if your medication doesn't arrive soon, plan on having a visit from me. Wonder how Penelope will like me?" Scarecrow asked with malice dripping from his voice.

Jonathan pointed a finger at Scarecrow angrily, "If you so much as touch her-"

"You'll what? Kill me? If I touch her, you're not in control. If you're not in control, then you can't harm me," Scarecrow stated while laughing haughtily.

Jonathan smirked at the other man in the room, "But I am in control now, and I say we turn the TV back on."

"NOOOOOOOO!"

"Don't worry, Penelope is going to sleep and I am going to have the volume low. She won't catch us."

"You son of a bit-!"

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><p>Jonathan chuckled as he ended the episode and decided to see what was on regular television, "Purple one is a bit of a sarcastic bitch, I admit, but it is still fun to listen to."<p>

"Orange's accent is just killing me. Reminds me too much of a certain abusive grandparent," Scarecrow complained.

"Blue is amusing to watch. I like that they learned to enjoy reading. Probably my favorite one of them overall," Jonathan continued with a smile.

Scarecrow continued to accentuate the negative but otherwise not complain, "White is soooooooooooooooo prissy. No-one cares about your clothes! And besides, why do you need them anyway? Stupid accent too, again. I wish I could introduce her to my fear gas."

Jonathan chuckled as he remembered another of the mane characters, "Yellow's shyness is quite endearing in a way. Not the best person to cheer you on though, too quiet."

Scarecrow continued for a moment before realizing what he was actually doing, "Pink-wait, NO! What the hell am I doing? I am NOT discussing this with you!"

Glancing at The Hub, a familiar cowl appeared on the screen and sent a slight shiver down his spine, "Oh look, now they are showing that animated series based off of a certain Bat."

"How come he gets his own TV show? WHY!" Scarecrow yelled jealously.

Jonathan shrugged again, "I hate to admit it, but it's pretty good. Good plots, everyone seems to be just like they are in real life for the most part, and when put together those two things create good origin stories."

"They haven't given us one though, which suits me fine! They show my side and ignore yours! No sweet, innocent Johnny and a lot of evil, terrifying Scarecrow!" the psychopath declared loudly as he contorted his fingers into a balled fist.

Jonathan sighed as he thought about the show that was now on, "I wish Penelope could be in it…it would make for good character development for the two of us."

"Good character development, sure, but they would have to portray her as your miracle doctor and not your lover. Remember, that isn't public knowledge," Scarecrow reminded him.

Jonathan sighed, "You're right…" thinking more about how it would play out, he decided that her not being in it might not be all that bad a thing, "They would probably have me go insane at the end anyways to allow me to continue being a villain. Such is the problem of being a villain on a retainer."

"I bet they could have a field day with your recent interest in television, especially kids shows. An entire episode could be based on it I bet!"

"Hey, I never got to watch this kind of thing when I was younger. Never got to watch anything when I was younger. Let me have this."

"Don't make me the badguy! You're torturing me!"

"You can act tough and endure the Batman and the criminal underworld, but you can't handle a few hours worth of harmless fun?"

"Batman scares me. He beats the crap out of me. He doesn't tell me about the power of friendship. In fact, I severely doubt he has any friends."

"Yes, unlike yourself," Jonathan snarked.

"I don't need them! And I don't need magic to make them either!" Scarecrow declared furiously.

Tiptoing into her room, Penelope surpressed a giggle as she finished watching Jonathan watch a little kids program. She had an idea and sat down at her room's desk.

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><p>Now sitting before her open laptop, Penelope spoke quietly as she typed on it, "Amazon dot com…" typing in the name of her favorite character from the show and apparantly Jonathan's too, Penelope came across a large plush doll that made her smile, "I think this will do nicely. A cute and friendly joke for my lovable tough guy with the heart of a child."<p>

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><p><em>AN: Haha, yeah, I just wrote that all. Kind of to amuse myself in a way, but also to show that Jonathan is kind of an innocent kid at heart. He never got to really grow up because he never got to experience what it meant to be a kid. The rest is just Rule of Funny XD_

_For those of you who still have not picked up on what Jonathan was watching, look closely at the first two words of this chapter's title. You see it now? Good. Yes, yes I did just do that. Yes, I was laughing my butt off while doing so._

_Hey everyone, the review system here has changed a bit. In a good way. iIt's now even easier for you to leave me your thoughts and opinions. Now, I want you all to know something. It really helps me when you let me know how you all are thinking and how to improve the story for you, but I usually only hear from less than **five of you**. This is sad since there are **seven hundred of you**. I want to hear what you all have to say and think! Be it a question, thought, or idea, I would love to hear from you all! So please leave me your feedback, it helps me make the story better for you all!_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	69. Session 69: The Guys Next Door

_A/N: So, last chapter was amusing. This one hopefully will be too, albeit in a different fashion not requiring a kid's show. Jonathan is not in this one sadly. Probably off somewhere crying in a corner because of last chapter. We'll find him by next chapter though!_

_Special thanks go out to **Licoricewolf (who besides reviewing has also offered to do artwork for this story),** Seven-of-Storms, DarknessinShadows, Ozwolf, Black391, Hawthorn Tree, Nurse Joy, Jason Rulz Death, Chaoslord and **Scarecrow Fangirl (who has done a great drawing of Jonathan and Penelope in Scarecrow outfits, a link to which can be found on my profile page near the top).** Thank you for your support, you guys really rock!_

_After deviantart, put .com and a / to get to the art by Scarecrow Fangirl while removing the spaces: giftedhand . deviantart art/Scarecrow-and-Scarequeen-313809198_

_Fanfiction dot net doesn't like links, so sorry if the above is odd. You can get the easy link on my profile page under **Fanart**!_

_Did anyone miss Riddler and Two-Face yet? Well, you won't now!_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

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><p>Penelope groaned as she heard a knocking on her door. Deciding not to get up from her couch, she yelled out, "Who is it?"<p>

No response was given, but the door continued to be knocked upon. With another groan, Penelope stood up and walked over to the door. Opening it to appease whoever was rapidly knocking upon it, Penelope was caught off guard when a man in a green suit burst in and yelling, "Surprise!"

Penelope's eyes grew wide as she saw the infamous Riddler walk into her house right past her and behind him entered Two-Face. The doctor gaped as her nerves began to rise, "Nigma? Den-?"

Nigma put a finger to his lips, "Shush, no need to let our secret out. Would that be any way to treat your new neighbors?"

Young had known about the recent vacancy nearby for awhile now, but she had not expected something like this to come of that vacancy, "Neighbors? You have got to be kidding me! You think that I'm just going to let you stay next door to me, two criminals who have escaped from the same asylum I work for?"

Two-Face walked over to her couch and grabbed the remote control while Nigma replied, "Well, you see, before we went and got the apartment next to yours, we took the time to write down some things and put them along with some audio recordings. You turn us back in, you get busted!" He said with a chuckle. After he stopped laughing, the Riddler spoke with mock pity, "Wouldn't that be a shame?"

Penelope thought about what her options were. She could yell for help, but the threat just leveled at her might very well be real. She could do a million things to turn them in, but knowing Nigma she could not take the chance of doing so if it meant he would expose her less than legal practices. She could always have her father deal with them and their blackmail if they truly got out of hand, but the idea of losing her current life over two uninvited guests did not sit well with her, no matter who those guests were.

While flipping through the channels Two-Face asked with a bored tone, "So, is Johnny home? "

Penelope ignored Dent and spoke to Riddler harshly, "How did you two even manage to rent the apartment? One look at either of you and your credentials and you would be busted!"

Riddler chuckled and shook his head, like she was missing something obvious, "Well Penelope, it's cold out. People wear scarves," gesturing towards his colleague Riddler stated, "So Harvey here was able to keep suspicion off his back just by his apparel," pointing to himself he continued on, "I, on the other hand, am currently under the guise of Edward N-Y-gma. Not N-I-gma. The guy who is renting these apartments is an idiot, I checked. IQ of 77. Sadly his stupidity is assisting Dent and I in our great escape."

Two-Face turned his head towards them and frowned, "You going to do all the talking Eddie?"

Riddler rolled his eyes, "Why of course I am. Wouldn't want you to exhaust yourself with all those we's you would say when referring to only yourself," he ignored the glare his fellow convict sent him and turned to face Penelope again, "Now, your turn to answer my question Young."

Penelope crossed her arms and scowled at the intruder, "Jonathan is out right now. He's at the library and I was going to go pick him up soon."

Riddler nodded and put his hands on his hips triumphantly, "Cool," looking over to the couch, he decided to walk over to it and make himself at home, "Can't wait to see how he's doing! While you do that, I think I'll see what there is to watch."

Young gaped as the green clad man sat down on her couch, Jonathan's bed, and made himself comfortable, "No you won't! This is MY house, and I am not going to leave two criminals in it!"

Two-Face shook his head exasperatedly, "Oh come on doctor, we're neighbors now. No need to get upset. What do you think we're going to do, steal something? We respect Jonathan too much to do something like that."

Young pointed at the door, hoping they would comply but knowing they wouldn't, "But you don't respect him enough to possibly lead the Batman here, get him in serious trouble and get him shipped back to Arkham?"

Riddler nodded before shaking his head, "Good point, but sadly irrelevant. You see, Bats has no idea where we are and he won't as long as you keep your mouth shut. So, you going to draw attention to us or are you going to go get Jonathan?"

Penelope let out a very deep breath and began a mantra of not throttling the two men who had knocked her unconscious during their escape from the asylum recently. Seeing that Young had relented somewhat, Riddler beamed at her, "Glad to see that you see things our way! Now, chop chop, time's a wasting!"

Dent nudged his partner, "Shut up Eddie, Law and Order is on."

Riddler cast him a confused look, "Shouldn't you half hate that show?"

Two-Face shook his head no, "It contains order through the main characters and it shows disorder through the violence and mayhem caused. This show is fine with us."

"I cannot believe that this is happening…" Penelope complained to herself as she turned and left her apartment, leaving two known and escaped criminals behind in it.

Not noticing that she had left, Two-Face asked, "Hey doc, you and Johnny keep any beer in the house?"

Riddler snickered, "You're a moron. She left."

"Well excuse us princess, we were trying to get you alcohol."

"Alcohol numbs the brain and damages brain cells. Why would I drink such a thing?"

"Eddie, you lose more brain cells from the Bat in a good month than you ever will from alcohol."

"Likely true. So, we seriously going to watch a murder case? Why don't we watch something else."

"No. We are watching this and you will like it. We paid for our apartment, so we get to decide what is on television."

Riddler frowned, "This isn't our apartment Dent…"

"You still owe me, our point still stands.

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><p>Hugo Strange looked around the room of an abandoned warehouse he was in and eyed the six Tyger mercenaries that were present, "Now that everyone is here, I will explain the change of plans. I know that this was going to be a covert mission to grab Crane, but our plans are being changed. Apprehend Crane wherever and whenever you deem your chances to be high enough."<p>

His men nodded and left wordlessly, focused single mindedly on their goal. They all knew the price of failure and did not intend to let their boss down.

Once his men had departed the bald doctor began to ponder about his situation, "The Demon's Head will kill me if I don't manage to redeem myself. Maybe these Tyger Mercenaries aren't enough though…they are still freshly trained and may not have the mettle it takes to face a Gotham City Rogue. They defeated the Joker and his men, yes, but the Joker has less combat aptitude than the Scarecrow due to the fear gas I am trying to obtain," he wracked his brain for an alternative but did not come across one readily, "But who else is there to use? To hide his relations with me, al Ghul will not lend me his assassins. Other mercenaries or assassins then?"

A figure that had been spying on Strange during his short meeting and now approached him spoke, "I know of two specialists you could use."

Strange turned to face Talia al Ghul and rose his eyebrows questioningly "And whom may they be?"

"Slade Wilson, known as Deathstroke the Terminator, is a mercenary able to hold those infamous Titan brats at bay, all five of them, and even win on occasion. Floyd Lawton, known by the underworld as Deadshot, will be able to handle any possible resistance as well. His shooting skills leave nothing to be desired," Talia answered.

Strange nodded, having heard of both of the men. Being able to handle the Teen Titans and succeed was something of particular note, and Strange knew exactly how well Deadshot shot. He had plenty of targets in Gotham in the past for people to know of him, "I see. If these Tyger mercenaries do not accomplish their objective then I will think of using those you spoke of. Until then, I will try to defeat Crane using my own men."

Talia nodded as she turned to leave, "I'll let the word out that someone may wish to use their services so that when your men fail, we'll be able to still accomplish our goal."

Strange jabbed a finger at Talia as she left, "Fine, do as you wish. If those two fail it will be on you though."

The daughter of Ra's al Ghul ignored her father's protégé and began to think about more important matters than Crane, such as how she was going to win her father's favor back…

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><p><em>AN: Woohoo! Not a single person above grey morality appeared in this chapter! We had Penelope (who is light grey morality), Eddie (black), Two-Face (black and grey), Talia (black) and Hugo Stange (Black). Gotham City is one messed up place XD_

_**Anyways, anyone here play the game City of Heroes?** It is a great and free MMORPG that you can download online, just look it up on google, that has the greatest character customizer in any game ever.** Don't worry, you can play as villains too. **What do you think I play as? I play on the Freedom server with a character named Scar3crow if anyone is interested or plays it. If you're looking for something new to try out, I suggest it highly and will even help you out if I am online when you are._

_Hey everyone, the review system here has changed a bit. In a good way. iIt's now even easier for you to leave me your thoughts and opinions. Now, I want you all to know something. It really helps me when you let me know how you all are thinking and how to improve the story for you, but I usually only hear from less than **five of you**. This is sad since there are **seven hundred of you**. I want to hear what you all have to say and think! Be it a question, thought, or idea, I would love to hear from you all! So please leave me your feedback, it helps me make the story better for you all!_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	70. Session 70: The Start of Descent

_A/N: Anyone who has read the side story "A Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart", heed this. The path to that story begins now. I spent the last twenty chapters building what might of been, but won't. If you have not checked it out yet I would recommend it, although it has some spoilers in it for events yet to come. After the next five chapters the spoilers will be about eighty percent gone though, so you might as well check it out then._

_Special thanks go out to DarknessinShadows (three times in fact, one for reviewing the side story mentioned above), Hawthorn Tree, Ozwolf, and Jason Rulz Death for the great reviews! You guys really help me and this story with your support and feedback!_

_Bonus points go to whomever knows who Grant Wilson is from the DC universe! Yes, again I am bringing in a NOT OC character for you guys, like with what I did with Sam Bradley Junior. Sure, I changed Grant a little bit (understatement) but knowing who he is will help you all out in the long run! Look him up if you want._

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

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><p>Penelope groaned before she opened her door from the outside, recalling the two men who were no doubt waiting inside. She had tried ignoring their intrusion while she picked Jonathan up, and her dear lover was still unaware that they had dropped into his life again. Jonathan gave her a questioning look as Penelope's shoulders slumped, but she didn't see it as she entered her house.<p>

The sight inside of the apartment surprised her. Not only was both Two-Face and Riddler absent, but the house was in perfect condition. Penelope looked around, expecting for them to be pulling some prank, "Where the hell did they go?"

Jonathan walked in and rose his eyebrow, "They?"

"Nigma and Dent, they barged in and made themselves at home right before I went and picked you up," Penelope said with a scowl on her face.

Crane groaned. Now he was going to get nailed by both Batman and Bradley for harboring escaped criminals, "You left them alone in here?"

Penelope massaged her temple, "What else could I do? I told them to leave, and their response was to sit down and watch Law and Order. I would call the police on them, but they decided to blackmail me."

Jonathan let out a breath and decided that if there was nothing he and Penelope could do due to the blackmail, he might as well cope with the new issue, "Well, maybe they left to grab something."

Penelope's eyes widened as she realized she had to unlock her door, something that would mean that Nigma and Two-Face _locked _it on the way out. Something people without a key could not do, "I wonder how they locked the door…" the doctor groaned as she continued to think about the two men and where they could have gone, "Damn, they moved in next door! What do you want to bet those two are right over there at the moment?"

"Very likely. Now, how about I start preparing us dinner while you get the groceries?" Jonathan still wanted to move on from the issue, not wishing to deal with the Gotham underworld but also not wanting to get anxious about it.

Reaching into her pocket for her keys Penelope shrugged, "Alright. If you have the choice, don't let Nigma in here. Dent too. I really don't want to have the police pay us a visit."

As she left the house and he walked to the kitchen, Jonathan waved, "Bye Penelope."

When she slammed the door Jonathan winced, pitying the poor construct of wood. Looking down at the kitchen counter, he began to think about what he could manage to make with their little supplies when the construct of wood began to be knocked upon. Jonathan glanced at the door and scowled, "Oh great, Nigma already."

Jonathan decided to ignore it and let his fellow Rogue leave on his own account. The knocking did not cease however, growing more and more agitated and frequent. Eventually that stopped and was replaced by a much slower knocking, likely Two-Face having taken over for Riddler. Jonathan decided that if they weren't going to let him be, then he might as well send them away. They were more likely to listen to him than to Penelope anyways.

Opening the door slightly, Jonathan looked through it at the man knocking on the door, "Listen Riddler-"

The door lung open and Jonathan found himself being tackled to the ground by a man who looked like he was in SWAT gear. Jonathan yelped as he hit the ground, "What the hell!"

Elsewhere in the room there were men barging into the apartment from the windows they had opened to set up this ambush, not wishing to break them and cause people to take notice. The man who came through the door grabbed Jonathan by the neck and smashed the skinny man's skull into the floor. "Surrender and shut up Crane. We have someone who wants to meet with you."

The leader of the Tyger team held a halting hand towards his ally with Crane, "Grant, do not cause too much harm to him yet. We'll need as many limbs unbroken as we can for our upcoming interrogation."

Grant smashed Jonathan into the ground again and frowned, "Oh come on, Strange uses drugs to get people to talk anyways, And besides," Grant took ahold of one of the former doctor's legs, "what is this washed out professor going to need this leg for?"

Whispering to himself, Scarecrow spoke, "Johnny, my turn," bringing his leg up to his chest, the lanky man thrust the leg and sent the Tyger mercenary off of him, "For this!"

The mercenary crashed into the door and staggered for a moment before he caught his balance. Grant instinctively grabbed his firearm to shoot his opponent but his superior officer yelled, "Hold your fire!"

Grant lowered his weapon reluctantly, "But lieutenant-"

The lieutenant narrowed his eyes at his undisciplined team member, "I said hold your fire Grant, that's an order. There are enough of us to take him out in close range combat easily, but if I am correct he'll pull out a syringe or two of fear toxin to inject us with. I do not want unnecessary casualties."

Grant glared at Crane and took a step towards him to stomp on the downed man's leg, but a leg sweeping motion by the man known as Scarecrow took the Tyger member's legs out from under him. Landing hard on his rear end, Grant growled, "Oh that's it!"

The mercenary launched himself onto Jonathan and threw a punch across the man's face, drawing blood from the man's lip. Another punch connected with Jonathan's nose, the cartilage soon drawing blood as well. Grant decided this on the ground beat down was not enough and yanked Scarecrow to his feet and began to lay into him upright. The team's lieutenant walked towards Grant and was going to yank him off Crane, but this action was interrupted by another sudden arrival.

Now standing in the doorway was Edward Nigma and Harvey Dent, neither of whom looked very happy. In Two-Face's hand there were two pistols and in Riddler's there was a single pistol, two question mark shaped sickles hanging off his side. The five non-occupied Tyger guards all pointed their weapons at these new arrivals, but in-between them and the Rogues were Grant and Jonathan. Riddler pointed his weapon at the back of Grant's skull and spoke, "Hate to break up the party, but may I just ask what the hell you're doing to our friend?"

"Not your friend Nigma," Scarecrow let out with a small chuckle. Grant wanted to punch him and tell him to shut up, but the gun pointed at the back of his skull worried him too much.

Nigma waved his hand, "Whatever," looking around at all the armored men in the room the narcissist asked, "Now, does Two-Face here have to paint the walls with all of your brains or can we all just settle down?"

The lieutenant looked at Nigma carefully, "You're not the only one with weapons."

The Riddler nodded and grinned, "Ah, yes, but I was listening to a bit of the conversation before we came in. You need Jonathan alive," moving a couple feet over, his gun now pointed at Scarecrow's head, "And if you need him so badly, then you would really not like it if someone shot him in the front of the skull."

This was not exactly the coming of the cavalry that Scarecrow had hoped it might be, "Nigma, you bastard!"

"I doubt that you would harm a 'friend'," Grant said with a snort.

Two-Face whacked one of his pistols across the back of Grant's skull, shutting him up. None of the Tyger mercenaries did anything due to the fact their intended kidnapping victim that they needed _alive_ was being held at gunpoint. Riddler decided to respond to the stupid mercenary anyways, "Well, let me clear your doubt. Whatever you do with Jonathan will likely go along these lines: torture him, torture him, torture his girlfriend, torture him again, kill his girlfriend, and then torture him to death. I would be doing him and Young a favor!"

The lieutenant squinted at Nigma, trying to see if he was bluffing or not. Years of experience told the older man that this psychopath was not at all kidding, and he spoke loudly for _**all**_ his men to hear, "Men, I think we're beat."

The two Rogues smiled to themselves, thinking they had won. When karma struck Two-Face and the butt of an assault rifle crashed into the back of his head he yelled, "Augh!"

The lieutenant pulled out a different kind of weapon as the extra men he had brought with him rushed in from behind Nigma and Dent, one of them disarming Riddler as they entered, "Use your stun batons! We can't risk harming Crane with gunfire!"

Jonathan decided to keep control in Scarecrow's hands as his evil side sent a kick flying towards Grant's face, "But I have no problems hurting you all!"

Nigma recovered from the men who had barged in behind him, drawing his question mark sickles and pointing them at the newcomers, "Trusty sickles trump your stun batons!"

One of the men lifted their gun, "I'll just shoot you from point blank range!"

When a bullet lodged itself in that man's skull, exited it and then ended in his helmet, the darker side of Harvey Dent laughed, "What was that about shooting from point blank range?"

As he shot at a different guard, Two-Face not having any problems with firing even if his opponent's were reluctant for the most part, Harvey spoke to himself, "I still can't believe that you let them stun us! It was your side, Harv!"

His darker side scowled, "Hey, I was busy aiming at Jonathan and those bastards!"

Riddler parried an attack of a stun baton with one sickle before slashing with another, missing but still pushing his opponent back, "Stop arguing with yourself and fight!"

Grant tried getting up from the ground, still dizzy from the last hit he had taken, but Scarecrow had other plans. The Tyger mercenary yelled in pain as the skinny man stomped on his chest and then kicked him, "I'll kill you when Strange is done with you, Crane!"

Pulling a small syringe out of a hidden compartment in his sleeve, Jonathan stabbed the object into Grant's arm, "Oh my, you do not know the world of fear you are about to experience, do you? You won't be hurting me or Jonathan for quite some time, if ever again."

Grant struggled as the fear toxin began to be pumped into his limb, "Get him off me!"

Jonathan grabbed his victim the same way that his captor had earlier, "You're lucky this fear gas is old. The potency is low, so it won't cause a heart attack. You'll still be in for quite the ride though!"

The fear toxin began to go through the man's body and the effects settling in, "Ahhhh! No, stop it!"

Jonathan wanted to wince as the man writhed in pain, but Scarecrow instead laughed as Grant began to mumble, "Dad, no, please don't leave! I'm trying my best, I'm trying my best to get better!" "Please forgive me! Don't leave me here!"

Scarecrow rose his eyebrow, "Daddy issues? I think I can work with this," gripping the man around the throat more tightly, Scarecrow spoke in a slightly guttural tone, "How does it feel to see your father walk away, disgusted with your inability to live up to his low expectations?"

The man began to sweat as he grabbed his head and closed his eyes in pain, "I'll stop doing drugs! I promise this time! Please, don't leave me here alone! Brother and sister left us, don't leave me too!"

Scarecrow's torture session was cut short however by one of the other Tyger mercenaries. The lieutenant looked at him with disgust as he slammed his electric prod into Crane's back and then kicked him off, "Get off of him you sick bastard."

One of the surviving Tyger members spoke to his team leader, "Lieutenant Smirnov, we're finished here."

The lieutenant nodded and glanced over at the doorway. Two-Face was slumped against the wall unconscious while the Riddler lay down on the ground with the same issue, the two having been overcome by sheer numbers after they had been caught off guard, "I would tell you to put two in each of their heads, but any more noise and we'll have to deal with the police. Leave them and let's get out of here before anything else goes wrong."

Pointing to the team's medic, Smirnov spoke, "You grab Wilson and treat him," the medic moved over to the now crying man while the lieutenant turned to his other men, "and bring a body with you everyone. We're leaving. I have Crane."

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><p><em>AN: And the plot strikes again! I may have been keeping you all (and myself) very amused between the sweet and awkward Jon/Pen moments, the happy times, Riddler being a nice smartass, Harley being Harley, ponies and other things in the last 20ish chapters, but this is the actual turning point. Part 3 of this story has kicked off fully folks, and with 30 chapters left in this first story, I hope you all are curious about what is to come._

_The last ten chapters will be based on the game. So basically the next twenty will be pregame. During the game, Jonathan is the evil and deadly Scarecrow. Some math might have to be done, but my guess is that these next twenty chapters won't be that easy on him!_

_**Anyways, anyone here play the game City of Heroes?** It is a great and free MMORPG that you can download online, just look it up on google, that has the greatest character customizer in any game ever.** Don't worry, you can play as villains too. **What do you think I play as? I play on the Freedom server with a character named Scar3crow if anyone is interested or plays it. If you're looking for something new to try out, I suggest it highly and will even help you out if I am online when you are._

_Hey everyone, the review system here has changed a bit. In a good way. iIt's now even easier for you to leave me your thoughts and opinions. Now, I want you all to know something. It really helps me when you let me know how you all are thinking and how to improve the story for you, but I usually only hear from less than **five of you**. This is sad since there are **seven hundred of you**. I want to hear what you all have to say and think! Be it a question, thought, or idea, I would love to hear from you all! So please leave me your feedback, it helps me make the story better for you all!_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	71. Session 71: The Strange and the Kind

_A/N: This was meant to be released yesterday, but life caught up with me. Sorry about that._

_29 chapters to go...we're winding down folks! And only 19 to the actual game...one step closer._

_Special thanks go out to Eeemkaaayy (for the very in depth and great review), Narutofangirl1213, DarknessinShadows, Bashlei, Ozwolf, Jazon Rulz Death, Chaoslord and Hawthorn Tree (even if the 'error' you pointed out was not an error) for all the great reviews! You guys really help support this story and keep me writing!_

__**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**__

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><p>Penelope put all of her grocery bags in one hand and frowned while she rummaged through her pocket for her key. When she decided that she had had enough searching through her pockets she just rapped her hand on the door. It opened up as her hand pressed against it, for it was unlocked. Using her free arm, Penelope opened the door as she split the bags between her two hands again.<p>

Calling into the house, Penelope looked around the slightly dark house and found no-one in the kitchen area, "Jonathan? Jonathan? Where are you?"

Walking towards the kitchen, Penelope hit the light switch and scowled at what she saw. The food Jonathan had been preparing was still where he had been preparing it and was at the point of being inedible, "Look at the food, it's burnt!"

When no-one responded to her still, Penelope looked around the house again, now looking towards the doorway, "Jonathan?"

Now that the area was lit, the unconscious forms of Edward Nigma and Harvey Dent could be seen on her floor. Penelope had walked right past them in the dark without knowing that two criminals were right there. And if they were unconscious and Jonathan was not replying…the idea caused the doctor's eyes to grow wide and her voice to become shaky, "Oh my god-Jonathan!"

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><p>Hugo Strange smiled smugly, pleased with his mission's success. Jonathan Crane, his master's prized mad scientist and his competitor in the role for most skilled tormentor in Gotham City. Strange liked being second to no-one in anything, particularly the Batman, and Crane was no exception. If Strange could not create a better torturous chemical than his fellow follower of Ra's, then he would just take Crane from the competition permanently. While doing his master's will, no less.<p>

Jonathan was strung up on a wall with shackles binding him to it and preventing him from moving, a sight that pleased Hugo Strange very much. The supposed master of fear so helpless was a sight to see after all, "Welcome mister Crane. How do you like your new living arrangements?"

The man known as Jonathan Crane frowned lightly and narrowed his dark eyes at his captor, "Crane's not home. Try again."

Strange chuckled, now reminded of one of his previous experiments with this man, "Oh, I presume you are the darker side that I recreated in him. What is it that you go by then?"

Jonathan's other half spoke in a disgusted tone, as if he did not wish to speak to the madman in front of him at all, "Scarecrow," the tone shifted to a more demeaning and mocking one as he continued, "Are you too dull to divine that on your own? Some Batman you would make."

Hugo Strange did not take listening to a captive of his insult his innermost desire and his intelligence in the same breath, grabbing the man by the throat and squeezing it tightly, "This is MY domain and you will show me the respect I deserve!"

Once Strange calmed down and released his neck, Scarecrow scoffed and tempted the bald man with ridiculous glasses, "Oh, now I'm supposed to bow before the man who has tried so hard to break me and who has just had me kidnapped. That makes sense."

Strange narrowed his own eyes behind his glasses, knowing that the former doctor was trying to provoke him. He had an idea about how to shut Crane up, "You know what I want Crane. Give me the formula and I will end this quickly. I might even spare Young some pain."

The sinister Scarecrow scoffed again and actually let out a small laugh, "Threatening Young? I wonder how much Ra's would like to hear that," the other side of Crane grinned smugly at his captor, "Your threats are hollow you sociopath. I know when someone is a complete monster like me. You would get the formula you want, then you would 'investigate' my mind until I finally expired from your torture."

"I see. Then I suppose this will be more difficult than I had thought originally," Strange said indifferently.

Behind the doctor a tall man who led the top Tyger mercenary team entered and spoke to his contractor, "Sir, we have gone through the things we ransacked from the house and came across some vials. They match no known strains of fear gas however, and appear to be more similar to the chemical known as Venom used by the villain known as Bane. Any thoughts?"

Strange turned to his associate and smiled, "Why yes, those vials would belong to doctor Young. I believe she has some sort of superhuman experiment going on at the moment. Why she has them at her home, one can only theorize."

The lieutenant continued, "They have dates written on their labels. One of them dates to a few days ago, and has a check mark going through it. The others have older dates and an X through them."

The doctor mulled over this information for a moment before smiling brightly, "Then it would be a logical assumption that Young has found her final formula. The old ones had imperfect and deadly qualities from what I heard through the grapevine. It makes you wonder why she canceled the project just the other day."

The lieutenant frowned as he thought about what his employer was going to do with what he had found in that apartment, "Guilt over those she has harmed?"

"I doubt it. She is quite the selfish being. She is her father's daughter after all."

"Who sir?" the soldier asked, not knowing who his employer was referring to.

Hugo waved a hand, dismissing him, "Don't worry about it. It is above your pay grade so to speak. Now leave me. I have work to do. Handle Young's formula as you see fit for the moment."

The man nodded and left the room, not having wished to see what was going to happen in there anyways, "Yes sir."

After his man had left Strange turned back to Crane and smiled viciously, "Now, Scarecrow, I would love to see your reaction to a new formula of my own. A truth serum, but a painful one. I will enjoy this quite a lot for the trouble you've put me through."

Scarecrow spat at his captor and narrowed his eyes at the man who was about to torture him to death, "Do your worst."

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><p>Commissioner Gordon was used to having to deal with distraught family, lovers and friends in his time, so when he was called in to help handle a specific case out of the blue the crying and crushed look on Penelope Young's face was not a new experience for him. "Ma'm, you are going to be alright. What happened here?"<p>

Penelope was glad that her new neighbors had woken up and left after explaining what happened to her, that Jonathan had been taken by soldiers of some sort, before the police arrived. She was crushed however by the way that her lover was gone, but she could not possibly tell these men about that and neither could she tell them about the information given to her by Nigma and Two-Face. She had to play dumb, something that saddened her because of how it would hinder the process of saving Jonathan.

Sniffling and wiping her nose on her sleeve, the doctor spoke shakily to the commissioner, "While I was out at the store getting groceries th-the man who has been placed in my custody was kidnapped! He's missing and there is blood all around my house! I think someone broke in and hurt him before taking him away. I just can't believe I let this happen…"

Commissioner Gordon nodded and put a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder, noticing her red eyes and the dried tears on her face, "This isn't your fault. What is the man's name?"

Penelope felt new tears fall down her cheeks as she thought about her boyfriend, "Jonathan Crane. He was released from Arkham Asylum where I work recently and I was in charge of helping him become reintegrated to society. I was his doctor."

"The Scarecrow Jonathan Crane?" Gordon furrowed his brow, somewhat recalling the news of Jonathan Crane walking the streets of Gotham once more but not having had time to deal with it due to other more pressing concerns.

Penelope frowned as she began to think that Gordon would not be as supportive now that the kidnapped man was one of the infamous Gotham Rogues, "Yes, but he had given that up! He had reformed himself and has been trying hard to become a productive member of society. Why anyone would do this I cannot begin to imagine!"

Gordon frowned as he began to think of the massive amounts of people who might just wish to harm Crane, "I can think of many people who would all do it for the same reason. He hurt quite a few people before being put away at Arkham and they or their families might be after him. That is not to mention crime families like the Falcones who have their own problems with him, or even the infamous theme villains in this city."

Penelope sobbed more before responding, "But why hurt him? Jonathan wouldn't harm anyone now. If he has been kidnapped then I am afraid what this is doing to his psyche at the moment. I don't want some idiot with a gun ruining all of the hard work Jonathan's made towards getting better in addition to harming the poor man."

The police commissioner gave the distraught woman a reassuring look right to her eye, "Don't worry doctor Young, we will do our best to find whoever did this. If Crane has gotten better like you say then I do not wish any harm upon him either. Everyone deserves a second chance, except maybe the Joker."

Young wiped her tears away and her frown began to fade, "Thank you…some of the other cops I have spoken to haven't been as kind," detective Bradley had been the first to arrive, but he had been no help to her. He only caused her more grief when he began asking questions about what Crane had been into and who he had been dealing with in the underworld since his relief. Gordon was a nice change for her.

Gordon sighed and shook his head, "I apologize for that. I cannot control all my men's actions, but I try to instill in them a sense of decency. If any of them do anything you find in ill spirits, I would not at all mind about hearing about it. The policemen are supposed to be upholders of justice and decency."

Penelope smiled at the kind old man, "Thank you again Commissioner Gordon. If anything comes up I will contact you. I want to help my former patient however I can."

Gordon nodded to her and gave a light smile back, glad that he had been able to comfort her, "You're welcome. I hope we can find your charge soon, before anything happens to him."

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><p><em>AN: I like commissioner Gordon. I was rewatching Batman Begins while writing this and felt like adding him in after it. Hope you guys didn't mind!_

_**Anyways, anyone here play the game City of Heroes?** It is a great and free MMORPG that you can download online, just look it up on google, that has the greatest character customizer in any game ever.** Don't worry, you can play as villains too. **What do you think I play as? I play on the Freedom server with a character named Scar3crow if anyone is interested or plays it. If you're looking for something new to try out, I suggest it highly and will even help you out if I am online when you are._

_Hey everyone, the review system here has changed a bit. In a good way. iIt's now even easier for you to leave me your thoughts and opinions. Now, I want you all to know something. It really helps me when you let me know how you all are thinking and how to improve the story for you, but I usually only hear from less than **five of you**. This is sad since there are **seven hundred of you**. I want to hear what you all have to say and think! Be it a question, thought, or idea, I would love to hear from you all! So please leave me your feedback, it helps me make the story better for you all!_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	72. Session 72: Meet The Family

_A/N: Title might be misleading if you think it means Jonathan dealing with Penelope's family...you'll see what I mean soon. I capalized the T in The for a reason._

_Special thanks go out to Black391, DarknessinShadows, Ozwolf, Jason Rulz Death, Chaoslord and **an anonymous guest who I think forgot to sign their name **for all of your great reviews! You guys are all great and really help me write and improve this story!_

_**Hope you all enjoy and will grace me with your feedback be it comments, ideas, questions or thoughts on how things are going!**_

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><p>The dining venue known as Sal Maroni's Italian Restaurant in the Bowery was a place that everyone knew housed crime and bred corruption despite it's kind and homely look from the outside. No-one did anything about it though, for inside the restaurant one could often find three of Gotham's top mobsters and their best enforcers. Cops would not be caught anywhere near the place, or rather uncorrupt cops. Dirty cops helped the restaurant stay in business almost by themselves with their constant patronage, and the waitresses who worked their made much more than the common worker in Gotham with their tips alone. Dirty cops often were not very tight with the wads of cash given to them, especially not right after they received it within the restaurant.<p>

The hotspot for the best of Gotham's worst was not currently occupied by many unscrupulous people though. Instead there was a select few of them, the heads of Gotham's primary Italian, Russian and Black mob families were gathered at a large table with their bodyguards stationed around the room. The staff had been dismissed, and no snitches to be found. The bosses were discussing their ongoing business and dealings at the time.

Salvatore "The Italian" Maroni, leader of Gotham's top mob, looked to his close ally and somewhat friend the Chechen as the man spoke, "Our next drug shipment will be coming in a couple of dayz."

Turning away from the Russian mobster, Maroni looked at the head of the black mob family who had been stewing the entire meeting, "What about your shipments Gambol?"

The stern man looked at his relaxed associates and did his best not to scoff as he spoke with disgust, "We've had some run ins with the police due to the Bat freak, but the weapons are going to be here on time."

Sal Maroni ignored his partner's grim demeanor as he decided to draw their meeting to a close, "Well, seems like everything is-"

The Italian was cut off when one of his enforcers by the door yelled over to him, "Boss, we got someone who says they've got to see you. They're unarmed, but they won't show their face."

The mob boss had not been expecting company, especially not company that would have to be searched for weapons. Looking at his two fellow bosses, they shrugged and gave a questioning look right back at him. Raising his eyebrows, Sal shrugged too and decided to let the person in, "Show them in."

The tall visitor walked into the restaurant, a scarf wrapped around his face as he entered the place. The mob bosses wiped the surprise off their faces so as to not show a sign of weakness, knowledge being power and the lack of it being a lack of power. Once the tall man with broad shoulders stopped by their table Maroni decided to ask who he was now speaking with, "So, who do we owe the pleasure of speaking to? I hope you're not here to start a problem or anything. I mean, accidents happen all the time especially in cooking areas…"

Removing his scarf from around his face, Harvey Dent nodded to his fellow lawbreaker, "Hello, Maroni."

Sal sat back in his seat, surprised that one of Gotham's crazed Rogues was visiting him and a little worried what exactly that meant, "Dent? What are you doing here?"

"We're here to call in a favor. Nothing more," Two-Face stated plainly, eying over Gambol who was slowly reaching towards his firearm.

Sal scrunched his eyebrow, "A favor? I don't owe you nuttin'," looking between the Chechen and Gambol he asked, "Do you two?"

Two-Face shook his head, "No, not to them. You. And it's not our favor. We still recall how you rose to power due to the power vacuum in the Falcones after Jonathan Crane sent Carmine to Arkham," Harvey finished smugly, remembering the man who scarred his face and transformed him into who he was currently.

Salvatore Maroni had been able to boost his own family's standing in Gotham after Carmine Falcone had crossed the Scarecrow and ended up going insane from their encounter. Carmine not being in charge caused infighting and confusion, letting the Maronis overcome the Falcones in many areas of the Gotham underworld. Once the Falcones were not dominating Gotham all by themselves, a few other mobs rose to the top and decided that working together would benefit them all more than fighting each other would, leading to gatherings like this current one.

Maroni had gone from a smalltime gang leader to the very top of Gotham's underworld because of a single man making another man insane. Having grown up in a culture of honor, favors and firm customs, Maroni had decided long before that he did owe Crane for what he had done even if it wasn't an intentional favor. Sal nodded to Two-Face as he accepted the idea, "So you want us to help Crane out with something? That guy never would let me do him any favors, and I hate owing people things. So what's the job?"

Harvey nodded back to Sal as he explained the situation, the other mob bosses just listening in, "Crane has gone missing. We believe Hugo Strange is the one behind it, using some skilled mercenaries to capture the man. We wish for whatever assistance you might be able to lend in finding Crane."

Maroni thought for a moment before shrugging lightly, "Well ever since we stopped warring over nothing, a lot of our men got freed up. We'll help find Crane. Then he and I are settled, alright?"

The former district attorney of Gotham turned to leave, "Thank you for the assistance, Maroni."

A thought came to the Italian mob boss as his visitor began to leave, "What does helping Crane get for you anyways? You want him in your debt or something'?"

Harvey turned his head back, good side showing, and responded, "We have an accomplice who would miss him if he turns up dead. It would make our life easier if this accomplice remains happy."

"Alright," Salvatore said understandingly. He still had a decent amount of his men searching for something on his own at the moment so he could empathize with whomever was missing Crane, "I know what it's like to lose someone and not know what happened to em. If I find anything about Crane I'll let the word out, and if I can I'll get him back from this Strange guy."

Two-Face nodded again before exiting the restaurant and leaving the mob bosses to their business. Once he was sure that the crazy man had left Gambol spoke up with unrestrained anger, directing his question at Maroni, "Since when did we work with those freaks?"

Salvatore held a peaceful hand up at his associate, "Calm down Gamble. We honor our deals and our favors, remember?"

Gambol slammed his hand down on the table in anger, "But why should you feel like you owe the burlap bastard anything? Sure, he put Falcone away but he didn't do it _for_ you. He did it because he was a sick bastard who likes mind raping other people!"

The Chechen shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't see what the big deal is. We could send a few men to look in a sewer and call it even. Keeps the crazy men happy and we don't have to waste our time."

Maroni did his best to keep from frowning at Gambol's attitude as he spoke calmly, "If you two don't want to help out, fine. I'll use my own men. My men are used to holding people places nobody can find them, so they'll be better at finding those places than most."

Gambol scoffed, "Good luck finding that madman. From what I've heard, Strange is not someone you cross. If you bring down any heat on us you're going to have to deal with it on your own."

The Chechen moved his hands like he was weighing two objects and balancing them out, "Man may have put dangerous chemicals in my drugs awhile back, but he did accidentally cause our truce which has gained all of us millions. Maybe if you save him he'll do something else in our favor," he rose one hand and lowered another to emphasize his statement.

"Maybe," Maroni said with some doubt. Looking at his watch, the mob boss noticed that it was time to eat lunch and he was hungry enough to have some of his prized cooks' best dishes. The bosses were gathering during the day and not night due to certain flying rodent vigilantes that plagued the night that would ruin their day. Sal turned to face the other two and asked politely, Now, anyone want to eat? I think we've talked enough business for the night," the Chechen gave him a questioning look and Sal replied to it exasperatedly, "Yes, we have your steak. Like usual. And yes, you can bring some home for your dogs."

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><p><em>AN: When I saw The Dark Knight I always kind of liked Sal Maroni. In the movie he is the stereotypical mobster who has values and actually helps fight against Joker at the end by helping the police. I personally hope that he survived the car crash with Two-Face since when compared to the angry Gambol, stupid Chechen, psychotic Joker and deranged Two-Face he was actually the "nicest" villain._

_Saw The Dark Knight Rises at a Nolanverse Batman movie marathon. Want to know what I think? **Spoilers below, don't read if you don't want.** _

_I loved the movie, 10/10 in my opinion but I will still put in my gripes (which are kind of minor)_

_S*** p*** c*** m*****f***** t*** and t***. Thank you George Carlin for your "Seven Words you can't say on Television" because those words are what I feel like screaming right now. AGAIN, Talia al Ghul hijacks a Batman adaptation originally going to involve Bat/Cat. Talia is in the movie, a b**** in sheep's clothing so to speak. They denied that "Miranda Tate" was Talia, but they lied. Cut the scene of her sleeping with Batman out of the movie and nothing would change whatsoever. I am glad she died at the end and that Batman is with Catwoman. And her using a nuclear weapon to keep other people out of Gotham while slowly killing it and being the person behind another powerful villain? D***** I WAS GOING TO DO THAT!_

_On a different note, Scarecrow is back. Scarecrow v Gotham's richest. On one side, YAY! On another side, D*****, I was gonna do that! Uggghh, too late now. So know this, I planned the confrontation between Scarecrow and Gotham's richest almost 9 months ago before I knew that they were going to do it in "The Dark Knight Rises". I know this sounds odd, but so many of the ideas I braintstormed late last year ALL HAPPENED IN THE MOVIE. Those that didn't happen were then included in an anime series I was watching. AUUUUUGH!_

**_Spoilers End_**

_Hey everyone, the review system here has changed a bit. In a good way. iIt's now even easier for you to leave me your thoughts and opinions. Now, I want you all to know something. It really helps me when you let me know how you all are thinking and how to improve the story for you, but I usually only hear from less than **five of you**. This is sad since there are **seven hundred of you**. I want to hear what you all have to say and think! Be it a question, thought, or idea, I would love to hear from you all! So please leave me your feedback, it helps me make the story better for you all!_

_**Lovely button to help support this story, its sequel (s?) and a lonely author here below**_

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	73. Session 73: You're Lucky Men, He's Not

_A/N: This chapter's title is a direct reference to a line from The Dark Knight. If you caught it and get it, good for you. It'll come in handy!_

_Special thanks go out to Jason Rulz Death, Chaoslord, and **especially ferret assassin nin for the eight reviews!** You guys rock and really help me make this story better with your feedback!_

_If any of you have seen The Dark Knight Rises, I have written a one-shot related to the movie which revolves around our dear Jonathan Crane. It is titled "Still Here" and you can find it on my profile! I hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it, since I might make a seque one-shotl to it if enough people take interest in it._

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!_

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><p>Doctor Hugo Strange let out a long laugh at his captive who wrested in pain in his shackles, agony never ending for Crane despite having been put under many drugs during the past week. As a former mad doctor clenched his teeth in pain, another grinned, "I give you some credit, Crane. No-one has lasted this long against my serums and drugs. Rejoice in that while I administer your next-"<p>

The Scarecrow spat at Strange, who just shook his head in disapproval, "Remember what I said about showing me respect?" pulling out a large syringe from a pocket, Strange abruptly dropped it to the floor when he heard gunfire in the wide and open room next to the one he was in, "What the blazes?"

His Lieutenant ran into the room, gun drawn as he looked his boss over for any injuries, "Sir, there is a large gathering outside of mobsters. I suggest you retreat while we face off with them."

Strange nodded to his man and then turned to face Scarecrow, "Understood. Looks like you're coming with me Crane."

The Lieutenant left the room and began to fire at the amassing mobsters while Strange began to unshackle the weak, starved, exhausted and drugged man known as Jonathan Crane. A blade being held up under the captor's chin halted his freeing process and made the crazy man's eyes grow wide as a calm voice spoke, "Actually Strange, you'll be leaving him for the organized criminals."

Hugo Strange cast his gaze over at is leader, Ra's al Ghul, and tried his best not to shudder from fear and to stay still, "Sir, I-"

Ra's lowered his blade and shook his head disappointedly, "I've seen that you are not ready to take my mantle. I have a place for you to train, far from here, than I expect you to try your best at. Maybe then I will reconsider you becoming my heir."

Strange nodded and his head sunk, "As you say, sir."

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><p>Salvatore Maroni might be the most honorable and have the largest code of Gotham's mob leaders, but one was not allowed to cross him without earning his fury. A routine inspection he had joined in on out of boredom turned out to be the place where some unknown mercenaries were staying, and given their mutterings about a captured man named Crane, Sal was pretty sure these men were the ones he had been asked to find, "Setting up shop in a man's own warehouse? That's not very polite," nodding over to the few dozen enforcers with rifles he had brought with him Maroni ordered, "Boys, teach these men some respect."<p>

The firefight that broke out as a result was barely able to be called a fight. The mercenaries were outgunned and pinned down, having a way out but also having many things they were responsible for bringing with them should they leave. The lieutenant pointed to the safes and filing cabinets they had been storing Strange's materials in and yelled, "Grab whatever equipment and files you can and get out of here!"

Maroni grinned as he watched the men retreat, some falling as they withdrew from the warehouse, "What kind of boss would I be if I couldn't even keep control of my own turf?" turning to a close by enforcer he ordered, "Dump their bodies in the water when we're done."

Once the mercenaries had managed to fully retreat and their dead, or soon to be dead in some cases, were gathered up the mob boss smiled to himself, "I don't know about you guys, but I got a feeling these mercs won't be coming back anytime soon," looking around himself, he didn't catch sight of the man they were living through, "So, anyone find Crane?"

One of the enforcers called over to his leader when they came across the empty room with Crane, "Here he is boss!"

In a room next to where one enforcer was freeing Crane, another enforcer was met with a different sight, "Hey, isn't that the Joker?"

The mad clown punched the lights out of the enforcer who had entered his room, having broken free of his own restraints during the chaos of the fight, and laughed as he began to run away from the scene, "Thanks for the assist guys! I'll treat you all to dinner sometime. I heard Falcone has a nice Italian restaurant that I bet you boys would _love!"_

Maroni watched as the Joker made to leave through the same exit the mercenaries had used, "Someone put that mad dog down. Now."

All the enforcers turned to fire at the purple suited maniac but none were able to fire before he left the building entirely. The enforcer near Maroni scowled as he reported, "We were too late sir."

Sal scowled too, not at all liking the madness and chaos that Joker was fond of raising in the city of Gotham, "Whatever. The Batman will send him packing soon. Joker might have been something awhile ago, but he hasn't had any new tricks in a long time," to get back on track, he turned towards where he heard a man say they found their target, "Where's Crane?"

An enforcer of Maroni dropped the drugged Crane down at Maroni's feet, "Here he is. What now?"

Sal looked at the disheveled man before him, a weak and defenseless man. Maroni almost pitied the man with how bad he looked, with large bags under his eyes and stubble on his chin adding about ten years to his look, "Bring my car around to the side. We'll drive him to the restaurant and leave him there until Two-Face comes for him."

Jonathan tried to get up but only managed to get on all fours, his legs forming a right angle to his body and the ground while his arms struggled to hold himself up, "Why…" Jonathan coughed out blood and winced before he continued, "Why are you doing this? Harvey?"

No one to exactly tolerate weakness, Salvatore decided to at least help the man to his feet given his condition. Once Crane was almost standing up with support the mob boss replied, "Your friend Dent did ask us to do this, but it's your favor that's being used. You helped me gain my current favorable position in the underworld, so I owe you this much. A favor for a favor."

Jonathan coughed again before giving a light nod, his arms clutched around his aching chest as he felt nausea hit him, "Tha-thank you. I am glad to see that some criminals have a form of decency…something they believe in. That's not so common anymore. I would prefer organized crime that works with a code of honor than the madness people like Joker bring to this place."

Maroni's eyes lit up a little, surprised by what he was hearing. Someone actually respecting his code of honor for once rather than bowing down to Joker's craziness? That was enough to lift the older man's spirits, "You and I both pal. You don't seem as loopy as some of those other walking Halloween parties. Interested in any business? Provided of course that you don't put your fear toxins in these drugs. We have a lot more customers now so you would get quite a lot of dough."

Crane opened his mouth without having something to say. It took a moment for him to formulate something both coherent and that would hopefully not get him killed, "Those days are behind me. I got out of Arkham and I intend to stay out. I…have someone who I don't want to be separated from."

Maroni chuckled, "You got a girl at home?" bittersweet memories rose in the mob leader's head as he spoke amusedly, "Well isn't that interesting. So that's the 'associate' Dent was talking about. She must love you a lot if she could convince a psycho like him to help you out, or even try for that matter."

Jonathan smiled back at the man, thinking that as long as Maroni was happy he should be, "You're right about that. She can be a little feisty at times…I love her and she loves me," Jonathan's smile faded a little as he continued, "We're putting our pasts behind us and want to be together, so I must decline your offer as generous as it may be."

Sal put an arm around Jonathan's shoulders and let out an amused sigh, "Believe me, I know the feeling. I loved my wife and I know what your girl must have felt when you disappeared. Over twenty years ago I left my home and pregnant wife, expecting to come home to the same," the mob boss tilted his gaze down and closed his eyes, "When I came back the place was burned to the ground and there was no trace of my dear wife. No-one ever claimed responsibility, and I never saw her again."

Crane managed to fully open his tired eyelids in shock, "I'm so sorry," the former psychologist felt something in his chest tighten as he imagined what he would do if Penelope were to just die one day, not to mention doing so while she was with child, "Thinking about losing the woman I love, not to mention any child she might be having, would crush me beyond the point of return. You're a strong man, Maroni."

Maroni opened his eyes and sighed, "It was tough at first, but over the years I learned to get over it. In fact, I'm going to my wife's grave after this. I guess I feel so nostalgic since today was the day it happened."

Jonathan knew firsthand that even bad people could have loved ones, and he felt a part of himself pitying the most powerful mobster in all of Gotham, "Your wife must have been one lucky woman if you care for her this much years after her passing.."

The crime boss nodded and frowned as an image of his wife Tabitha came into his mind, "I was a lucky guy."

A bright thought came to Jonathan's mind as he thought about how he might just cheer this hurting man up, "I know of some beautiful flowers you could get and bring. If you bring us to where I'm staying I could get them for you."

Sal's mouth opened into an O before he asked curiously, "You would do that?"

Jonathan smiled at him and shrugged, "You just saved my life, it is the least I can do for you."

Maroni removed his arm from Crane's shoulders and nodded to him, "Well, I guess I owe you another small favor my friend," rubbing his chin, the mob boss came up with an idea, "You like Italian?"

Jonathan did not particularly like it, but telling the head of the Italian mob that you were not a big fan of their food was not something he wanted to do, so he told a white lie, "Of course."

Sal pointed a finger at Jonathan as a smile grew on his lips, "Why don't you take your girlfriend to my restaurant sometime. On the house."

"Why thank you Mr. Maroni, that is very generous," Jonathan thanked, not believing the conversation he was having. Minutes ago he was being tortured to death, and now he was being invited to eat on the house at a mob boss's prized restaurant. He liked the improvement.

Maroni shrugged, his mood improving as he moved on from thinking of his wife to thinking of helping out this man and his lady friend, "No problem. And call me Sal. Mr. Maroni sounds a little formal for a friend."

Jonathan rose his eyebrows unwittingly, "Friend?"

Sal gave a forlorn look to his new acquaintance, "Believe it or not, but you're the first person I've told the story about my wife who has actually not looked down on me for being weak or pitied me in a sycophantic manner. You're alright," Maroni heard the sound of his car come up to the warehouse and he nodded towards it, "And here is our ride."

Maroni handed Jonathan the cane he usually used himself for style points, seeing how the man could barely keep himself upright. The two walked over to the car, an enforcer opening the door for them. Maroni motioned for Jonathan to enter first, "You first."

Jonathan thanked his new friend and got in, lowering his head to get in the car. Maroni entered and closed the door behind himself, not taking notice to who Jonathan had just taken a seat next to given Jonathan was in the way.

Maroni spoke to their driver, "Don't stop for lights, cops, nothing," the car began to move and they headed towards the Maroni restaurant from where they would get into a different car, the car Maroni owned when his wife disappeared.

Jonathan instead was facing the intruder in the car, "Harvey?"

Harvey Dent tapped his pistol against his skull softly, looking with one good eye and one exposed eye at the car seat in front of himself, "Seems like you did your job Maroni," Maroni shifted in his seat to see who was there and his eyes widened when he saw Two-Face in his car, "We heard you're going to visit your deceased wife," the Gotham Rogue turned to face Maroni, ignoring Jonathan for the moment, "Did you love her?"

The silver haired crime boss nodded to the other criminal, "Yes."

Two-Face looked down again, "Interesting. We loved Rachel before she died. Jonathan here avenged her by driving Falcone into a torturous madness," he glanced back at the two others in the back of the car, "That's why we were willing to offer our assistance in finding him you know. Because, like you Maroni, we owed him something. We flipped on it of course. It came up good side, yet again. We've been having a pretty big good side streak. Not impossible, but we've had to go out of my way to create balance."

Jonathan tilted his head in confusion, "I don't understand though, what are you doing here?"

Two-Face continued to slowly tap his gun on his cheek, "We flipped a coin the other day to decide if we would get right back into mob business or if we would just lay low with Eddie. Scarred side came up. We need men. We need supporters. You were one of them, Crane. But you've gone soft, haven't you?"

Jonathan lifted his hands up in protest, "Harvey-"

The horribly scarred Rogue pressed his pistol into Jonathan's face, "Don't Harvey me, Two-Face is in charge! Now, are you going to be a good henchman and rejoin us or are you going to make things difficult?"

Jonathan kept his arms up, now more in a hands up position like a policeman was looking him over, "Please, you don't have to threaten anyone. Just calm down and-"

Dent looked at the other man in the back of the car, "Maroni, tell Jonathan here what it would feel like to lose the woman you love. Tell him about the sense of agony you'll feel, the emptiness you will feel inside, and the sense of never being whole again."

Sal frowned, not liking this situation at all, "Listen, I don't know what your issue here is, but I did as you asked me to Dent. I got him and we're all alive. Can we stay that way and just go?"

Two-Face nodded but kept the gun pointed at his former ally, "Alive, yes. Alive so that we can use him," the madman's voice calmed slightly as he went on, but it now held a mocking tone, "Now Jonathan, tell me, are you going to make things complicated? Because Maroni here will only be able to warn you about what losing your dear doctor will be like."

Jonathan swallowed his breath nervously, not knowing what to do or say in his half-drugged state, "Listen Harvey, I've gone straight. I'm not doing anything illegal anymore-"

Two-Face shook his head and primed his gun for firing with one hand while taking his coin out of his pocket with the other, "What a shame," he flipped the coin and it came up normal side, meaning that Jonathan would live, "You're a lucky man. Well then, looks like we'll be seeing how Penelope is doing."

Crane panicked as the threat thrown at his girlfriend left his supposed friend's mouth, "Harvey, please, you don't have to do this!"

The man pointing the gun frowned, "Sorry Jonathan, but you had an equal chance of this situation never happening just like you had an equal chance of having been shot here. Now, getting back on subject, we need men," pointing the gun past Jonathan, it now faced Maroni, "You're turn."

Without flipping the coin Harvey pulled the trigger, but nothing happened, confusing Maroni, "What the-"

Harvey shook his head, "You got lucky there. We leave a few bullets out so that the chances of me killing someone are half. Now we flip," he flipped his coin again, only for it to land on the normal side once more, "Lady luck seems to be on everyone's side today. You're real lucky men."

Maroni's eyes almost sparkled as he realized that he was going to live while Jonathan let out a sigh of relief, thinking the threat to have passed. Both furrowed their brows at the sight of Harvey flipping his coin again. When the scarred side came up Two-Face spoke sadly, "He's not."

"Who?" Maroni asked Dent, his face worried.

Two-Face took his seat belt and buckled it as he pointed the gun towards the seat in front of him, "Your driver."

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><p><em>AN: That ending part might have seemed familiar. If you've seen The Dark Knight, then you know where it is from. Anyone have any ideas about what's going to happen?_

_**Don't forget to check out "Still Here",** the one-shot related to The Dark Knight Rises I made a few days ago which you can find on my profile!_

_Hope you all enjoyed and will leave me your feedback be it comments, questions, ideas or thoughts! Your feedback really does help me out when I am trying to improve this story, so don't feel shy and please leave your thoughts! It is so sad that out of the seven hundred plus of you that I hear back from so few, so hearing from more of you would help me understand better what all of your thoughts are!_

_Review box you can type in here_

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	74. Session 74: Fight Inside

_A/N: Where did everybody go? I thought having 5-7 of you review every chapter was too good to be true, but you all seemed to have disappeared! You guys still there? Hello? **Sorry for the long authors notes by the way, but they contain a lot of important info you might want to look at especially the bold things.**_

_Special thanks to Licoricewolf for actually reviewing the last chapter, and very special thanks to Eeemkaaayy for their very in depth reviews for chapters 65 and 66 and also very special thanks to ferret assassin nin for reviewing all the way up to the 16th chapter (new reader). You guys are great! Still would like to hear about what's going on here and now though, but every review helps me with my efforts to improve and will help me when I go back and revise the story one day!_

_**NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE ONE THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. IT IS WHY THIS STORY IS RATED M AND I WARN ALL OF YOU BEFOREHAND! I STILL HOPE TO HEAR WHAT ALL OF YOU THINK EVEN IF YOU GROW SAD BY THE CHAPTER.**_

_On another note,** if any of you have seen The Dark Knight Rises, I have written a one-shot related to the movie which revolves around our dear Jonathan Crane**. It is titled "Still Here" and you can find it on my profile! I hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it, since I might make a sequel one-shotl to it if enough people take interest in it._

_Salvatore Maroni line for amusement from The Dark Knight (this is from memory): _

_Mistress "Can we go someplace more quiet where we can hear eachother talk?"_

_Maroni "What makes you think I want to hear you talk?"_

_IF ANYONE HAS SEEN THE MOVIE FIGHT CLUB, THIS CHAPTER WILL MAKE SENSE TO YOU! IF NOT, WATCH FIGHT CLUB!_

**_I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!_**

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><p>On the kitchen counter lay multiple barely grazed pieces of food. Be it orders of Chinese food that had almost full trays, only a few pieces of white rice missing, or rolls of bread with only a couple of nibbles on them, the food was not consumed.<p>

On the floor of the living room was cushions from the couch, carelessly strewn about next to the object they were supposed to be on. Laying on top of one was a television remote, unused anytime recently. The television itself was on and playing, but it wasn't being watched. Just left there.

On the bathroom counter lay a pill container that sectioned off pills by morning and night, as well as by day. The fourteen sections all remained as they had been when they were filled a week before, not a single pill taken and not a container even opened.

In the bedroom, the house's owner lay on her bed in a curled up position. Her cheeks were damp with tears, her having kept extremely hydrated so that she could continue crying. She wanted to cry. She had taken the week off from work with no explanation, just doing it. She had so much vacation time built up that no-one really cared or noticed, none having heard about Crane's disappearance and none caring to ask about it either.

Penelope Young cried into her knees as she thought about what might be happening to the man she loved, "Oh Jonathan…where are you?"

Having come over to keep his ally's girlfriend alive and functioning, the Riddler frowned at her decadent state as he spoke calmly in an attempt to end the tears, "Don't worry Young, I've got Two-Face working with the mob to find him and I have some of my own followers searching. We'll find him soon."

Penelope moved her head a little so that she could look at the green clad man, her voice jittery, "Th-the mob?"

Nigma shrugged, "Harvey said they owed Jonathan a favor or something, I really do forget what for though. The family I think that's doing it is the Maroni family," mentioning the Maroni's made the Riddler smile, "I love their restaurant! I really have to see about going to that Italian place now that I'm free."

The doctor turned her head back towards her knees and sobbed again, now afraid about what the mob would do with her Jonathan, "Could you…go look more? I kind of want to be alone…"

When the Riddler realized he wasn't doing very well cheering her up he sighed and turned to leave, "Sure thing. I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon to see how you're doing. I suggest taking care of yourself a little more," now having left her room and next to her kitchen, Nigma called back to her, "Have you even eaten anything in the past week?"

Penelope replied lightly, barely able to be heard by Eddie, "A little…"

Not above feeling sorry for her, but not willing to act as her maid, Riddler walked towards the door out, "Well do more of that. Seeya!"

"Jonathan…" Penelope said to herself with a sigh. She wanted him to be okay, to be free of whoever had taken him. She wanted to comfort and hold him, tell him that it would be alright. That she cared for him and always would. She was worried most of all that she would never be able to say these things to him ever again.

The doctor let out another sob when she felt something shift on her bed. Turning, Penelope saw the bearded face of her father. His face was light and actually smiling in the same light manner, a face that instantly lifted Penelope's spirits. She started to sit up when he spoke, "We found him."

Penelope gaped for a moment as she began to think. Her father had found Jonathan? Why hadn't he gotten Jonathan back then? These questions must have displayed on her face because Ducard placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke reassuringly to her, "I would have brought him here myself, but the mobsters sent to find him for you were there as well. I did not want to endanger him by trying to escape with him, for either of us could have been caught in the firefight. I confirmed that they took him out of there and were intending on helping him get back here though, so you can expect Crane to be here soon."

Penelope leant into her father and wrapped her arms around 'the head of the demon', Ra's al Ghul. Her face had tears streaking down it again but this time it was a different kind, "Thank you father…I love you so much. Thank you…"

Ducard smiled to her and wiped away a tear from her face before putting his own arms around her, "You're welcome. I am sorry about this situation Penelope. I told an associate of mine to get Crane's formula long ago, but they took it a little too far, even after I had told them to desist their search recently in lieu of your affair."

His daughter's lightening face began to grow sadder as she looked at him, "Father…do you mind that I'm with him? I…I hope you don't. I care for him more than I've ever cared for someone."

Ducard rubbed her back and pulled her closer, his head resting on her shoulder and her head on his shoulder, "While I honestly wish you had better taste in men, I cannot fault you for your emotions. Your mother loved a man like myself, a sometimes freedom fighter and sometimes mercenary," he moved back so that they were face to face but then used his height to kiss her forehead, "I must also ask your forgiveness about how he is. Jonathan Crane would never have become what he was, what led him to Arkham, if it had not been for me. I led him down that path, sometimes with threats and sometimes with favors to get him out of the mess his life had become during those days," the look of shock on his daughter's face made it hard for him to continue, but Ducard did to clear his conscience, "And when he stopped working for me, I thought his usefulness over and decided to take his formulas and close up the loose end he had become. It is because of me and only me that you are crying like this, why your happiness was lost, and for that I am eternally sorry."

Penelope looked down for a moment before she looked up to meet his eyes while tears shone in her own, "Father…I forgive you. You're all I have other than Jonathan, and I don't want to lose either of you. But Jonathan and I don't want any more of this craziness. We just want to be happy together, that's all. "

Her father nodded and closed his eyes, "I will do everything in my power to let you two be. I respect Crane and I love you, my beloved daughter," he smiled as he opened his eyes and looked in her eyes, "You're so much like your mother. Your appearance, intelligence, stubbornness, and knack for liking the men they shouldn't fall for."

Penelope leant into his chest and closed her eyes now, "What was my mother like?"

Ducard looked up at the ceiling, past memories playing in his mind, "I was not always the man who criminals fear. I was once a man who sought the ability to change the world, who sought to help prevent society from falling into chaos and who wanted to help prevent injustice. This attracted your mother, who like me could see the imperfections of the world and wanted them to be cured. My wife helped me in my efforts across the globe to help people, be it solving cases of hunger or catching raiders who were terrorizing cities. She was strong and she was devoted, " Ra's sighed as he went on, "My wife. My great love. She was…taken from me. I had to learn that there are those without decency, who must be fought without hesitation and without pity. The anger that grew in me gave me great power, but that kind of anger can destroy a man as it almost did me."

Ra's al Ghul got up from the bed and moved towards the window, "Dear Penelope, I hope that you'll find it within you to fully forgive me one day for what I've done. I will leave now so that you can think, and so that whatever reunion you have with Crane will not contain me as a third wheel."

As her father left, Penelope wrapped her arms around herself and smiled. Jonathan was coming back.

* * *

><p>Two-Face shook his head, slightly dizzy. The car he was strapped into was currently upside down. The man in the driver's seat lay bleeding, his lifeless corpse limp on the top of the car's front. In the back the two unbuckled passengers lay one on top of the other, the one on bottom completely dazed while the other was slightly less so. Jonathan was the one on top, trying to get up while not harming Maroni. Two-Face managed to unbuckle himself and slow his fall by holding onto the seat in front of him. After straightening himself out, Dent patted the injured and stills struggling Crane on the shoulder, "If you live, we'll see how you feel about joining us now. Know that we know where Penelope lives."<p>

As Two-Face opened the door and exited, Jonathan groaned, "Pen…"

The former psychologist had great trouble moving, given that he did not want to stomp on or injure the mob boss he was tangled with. After a quarter of an hour Jonathan managed to fall out the same door Dent had left through. Straightening himself out, Jonathan felt a pang in one of his arms as he stretched. He had never broke a bone before, bone bruises being much more common for him, and he didn't think he had here.

Ignoring the pain, he turned back to the car. Maroni still lay on the inner roof of the vehicle, suffering from what might have been a concussion due to the impact of his car crashing and flipping over when the driver was shot. Jonathan knew that the man was one of Gotham's worst, the head of it's largest crime family, but he felt obligated to help him out. If Maroni was left to die here someone might actually finish the job, and Jonathan was absolutely sure that should Salvatore die there would be much more bloodshed. Not only would the man who replaced him be nowhere near as merciful or honorable in his dealings, holding themselves to a certain code, but the instant struggle for power and moment of weakness in the family would cause even more blood to spill.

On another note, Jonathan felt like the man needed someone to talk to. Salvatore seemed to be a good enough soul, albeit with his own issues just like Jonathan himself. The man having lost his family resonated with Jonathan in a way it wouldn't have months or even weeks ago. Now that Jonathan had experienced what it felt like to belong with someone, what it felt like to care for them and to give yourself to them, he understood the amazing pain that one would feel at the loss of that someone.

Gently taking Maroni, Crane pulled the almost unconscious man out of the car and dragged him away from it. A glance at the front of the car revealed that smoke was emanating from the machine and the smell of something burning drifted about in the area they were in, a vacant industrial setting. Jonathan stared at the slowly burning car dully, his mind dazed from the crash and still drugged from when Strange had been torturing him minutes before. Sleep deprivation and hunger also plagued Jonathan, who was standing on willpower alone.

Jonathan might have slowly been observing the car as it became engulfed in fire, but his alternate ego did not take this situation lightly. The Scarecrow had been taking the brunt of Jonathan's pain for a week, the true one suffering under Strange as Jonathan himself retreated into his own mind, and now after being released from his torment he was subjected to _another_ near death experience. The psycho personality screamed at the top of his lungs next to Jonathan, "That's it! Take a break Jonathan, I am damn sick of all this!"

Jonathan rose a hand to Scarecrow's chest, as if to hold him back, "No."

The Scarecrow leered at Jonathan, "Not going to let me? Fine," grabbing Jonathan's hurt arm, he twisted it, "let's see how you like this you pathetic coward!"

Jonathan yelled in pain as his arm sent pain signals to his mind, "Ahhh, what are you-?"

The Scarecrow released Jonathan's arm before sending a right straight into the man's face, "Why are you hitting yourself?" A left jab to the gut sent Jonathan reeling back, "Not a very smart thing to do!"

As Jonathan stumbled back the apparition did not relent, sending a kick flying at Jonathan's gut and sending the gaunt man reeling until he fell over, "You Jonathan are the weakling who can't fight for himself! I am the strong one who survives, who faces each problem you were too weak to! You are _useless_!"

Jonathan lifted a hand towards his other self, "Damnit, stop it Scarecrow!"

Scarecrow sent a kick towards Jonathan again, the kick ending up missing as Jonathan rolled away from it causing his other self to yell, "Why the hell do we even _need you_?" Jonathan brought himself to a standing position just in time to catch another kick thrown at him by the Scarecrow, "You are nothing but a pitiable mess who hides from every problem he ever faces, who doesn't take responsibility for his own actions!"

Jonathan tossed the leg down and punched the arm that Scarecrow had been aiming at before, just this time belonging to Scarecrow and not him, "You're the monster," the punch colliding with Scarecrow's limb, the apparition growled in pain as Jonathan yelled, "Not me!"

Scarecrow leapt backwards and laughed maniacally, "Oh why don't you cry me a river? You and I am one and the same!"

Jonathan growled as he chased after Scarecrow, "That's not true! You are another of my personalities, but we aren't the same!" grabbing the arm he had aimed at before, Jonathan twisted it in a way it shouldn't be able to, "I want to change for the better and you don't!"

Scarecrow let out a howl of pain before sending a backhanded strike across Jonathan's face with his free arm, "You want to be with our doctor!" the Scarecrow head butted his other self angrily, "That's all that matters to you anymore!" Jonathan released his arm and Scarecrow retreated a few feet backwards again, "All your 'change' is centered around a single damn woman who is too blind to see that you're a monster!"

Jonathan rubbed his nose, feeling for blood but not feeling any coming out of his nose, "Be quiet you bastard! I'm going to change myself for the better whether you like it or not!"

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><p>Across the industrial yard, another person in the area caught sight of the one on zero fight going on and laughed madly, "I want in on this! How often do you see a guy beating the crap out of himself while acting like he is fighting another person?" The Joker cackled as he thought about helping his old roommate beat the tar out of himself, "Not often from my experience, and that even includes all this time I've known old Harv'."<p>

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><p>Jonathan blocked a punch from Scarecrow and sent one back himself, but he too had his jab blocked. Both Jonathans clenched the fist they had caught, struggling to get past the other and strike them. Their power struggle continued on as a voice rang out in the wide open space.<p>

"Here's Joker!"

Jonathan turned towards the noise in confusion, "What the-?"

The former psychologist yelled in agony as a strong punch hit him in the spine, then yelled again when Scarecrow managed to punch him across the face. From behind Jonathan could hear, "Sorry Johnny boy, but I need Young to do me a favor and give me her formula," a kick to the back was followed by Scarecrow kicking at his shin, leading Jonathan to more pain, "I know you just got freed like me and all, but you're coming with me!"

Joker retrieved something from his sleeve and stabbed Jonathan with it, giggling while he did so, "Now Jonathan, I mixed a few of your fear gases together just for an occasion like this! Hope you enjoy them!"

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><p>The head of the Gotham Italian mob groaned in pain as his mind began to function again, "What happened?" looking around himself, he could see a burning car, Jonathan, and someone who he really didn't like, "Joker?"<p>

Reaching into his sports coat, Maroni withdrew his firearm and aimed it at the mad clown. When Jonathan, who he could see fighting Joker, tumbled away from the madman and fell face first into the ground Maroni pulled the trigger. It clicked, but nothing happened. The mob boss groaned, "The one time I don't have any ammo…"

Standing up slowly, he approached the Joker with his pistol still in hand. The madman was kicking the downed Jonathan and laughing while he did it, but the laughing ceased when he was pistol whipped on the back of the skull. The Joker fell over, but a leather shoe to the face later he stopped struggling. Still extremely dazed, Maroni didn't think to just end the Joker's life with something like a neck snap, but instead limped over to the beat up Jonathan. Kneeling down, Maroni put one of the hurt man's arms around his back and started to pick him up, "Come on, Crane."

After staggering far enough away from the scene with Jonathan, Salvatore took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed one of his trusted enforcers. The man answered the phone and told him that he hadn't found out anything about Crane, but Maroni cut him off and spoke, "Forget the searching, we found Crane. Two-Face caused us to have an accident on the way to the restaurant, so I need someone to come pick me up. We're on the outskirts of the city, in some sort of industrial zone nearby our warehouses. Joker's somewhere nearby, so get your rear ends over here."

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><p>AN: Well that just happened! In the last chapter I briefly included Joker running away from Strange's care, having been caught in an earlier chapter, and he had quite the head start on Jonathan and Maroni in terms of leaving the area. Just so happens they crashed in the relative area he had gone in. Sucks for them...Jonathan now has a lot of fear gas pumping through him.

Batman Begins references with Ra's al Ghul, but nothing major.

_**NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE ONE THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. IT IS WHY THIS STORY IS RATED M AND I WARN ALL OF YOU BEFOREHAND! I STILL HOPE TO HEAR WHAT ALL OF YOU THINK EVEN IF YOU GROW SAD BY THE CHAPTER.**_

Lastly, in response to some requests for certain characters to be included in the coming chapters by Jason Rulz Death and Chaoslord, I am afraid that my room for adding the characters you asked for is non-existant and adding them would be unnecessary. Killer Croc already hates Crane from the defeat he suffered earlier in the story by Crane, and the game doesn't even make it seem as though they hate eachother like you say. Croc just attacked the closest thing, something with Batman's scent I might add. The fact that it was Crane will just be a bonus to him here.

**_I didn't mention it ON my birthday (the 23rd) but I am now old enough to go to rated R movies! Never probably will, since they scare me. Either they are horror movies that do their job too well to me or they are vulgar films I would not want to watch anyways. I am now the age of one of my two favorite numbers though, the numbers being 4 and 17. Guess which one of those I am. Maybe for a late birthday gift I could have a wonderful review from you all about what you're thinking about in regards to the story? Pretty please? Any comments, thoughts, ideas or questions you have are welcome and strongly encouraged! They will help me with improving the story for you all and help me in my later revisions._**


	75. A Different Kind of Session: Haunted

_A/N: I know this chapter is short. It is supposed to be. Confused? This chapter does not need to be long or dragged out._

_There is a long note to every reader in regards to the recent tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. Reading the address would be much appreciated._

_Special thanks to DarknessinShadows (twice!), Sango1316, Solareon, Ozwolf, Jason Rulz Death, and Chaoslord for the reviews! They really do help me improve this story for everyone!_

_This story has changed tone wise permanently. There will be no more chapters of entire fluff. There will not be joyous reunions. I hope you all still will enjoy the story and continue reading, as well as leave me your feedback. These coming chapters will require a lot of support and your thoughts given that they are a completely different kind than everything written until this point._

_THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M FOR DARK THEMES. AVOID IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING OR MATURE ENOUGH TO READ!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

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><p>I sit in my office quietly. Nothing was different at Arkham. New patients admitted, more crazies added to the mix. More orderlies severely wounded. Normal.<p>

_"Jonathan?"_

I blinked. Normal. Things were how they had been for a long time. Like a television show where the status quo must be maintained. Nothing new can last, or at least not many new things do.

**"No."**

I looked down at the paperwork I was supposed to be sifting through. The pen was in my hand, there to sign things. Nothing had been signed.

_"What?"_

My fellow doctors were giving me space. For the most part they moved around me and acted like I did not exist. They didn't know what to say, and so they said nothing.

**"Scarecrow."**

Maybe my normally wretched breath nowadays made them not want to talk to me. I should get mouthwash. Already had to get a half dozen shampoo bottles to not smell bad. Mouthwash wouldn't be too hard to get.

**"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have virginitiphobia, am I right Penny?"**

I glanced at my computer screen. Screensaver of my adopted parents disappeared as I tapped the mouse.

_"Wha-Ah! What are you doing?"_

Screen now displayed my email. A draft of an email and a few new messages. One stood out. Joker. Jack White. Funder of Titan. Project terminated. He didn't like that.

**"Which of your ninety eight fantasies does this fall under? Ironic that you feared this happening, but what makes it better is that you** _want_ it to happen."

Email was long. Very odd and random threats to her family. Joker didn't know what that meant. Still worried me a little.

_"Jonathan, stop it! You're really hurting me!"_

Next there were horrible jokes. Madman tried to joke about a massacre that happened. He thought it was amusing.

**"I told you not to call me that! Jonathan is not home! The name is Scarecrow you selfish bitch!"**

The end of the email was the cause of my incomplete email. Picture of a dead child and a threat to me.

_"Please-"_

I blinked again at the screen. When my eyes opened I felt a tear fall down one of my cheeks.

**"I heard this hurts virgin women. All the more fitting. I've wanted to hurt you for a long time."**

Everything was back to normal at Arkham. Everything.

_"Please…ah!"_

It was time for me to go home. I didn't want to. He was here again. Home was pointless to come back to. More so because of threats against us.

**"Care for a little fear gas? I made it myself just for you. It will last in your systems for weeks. While the hallucinations will fade in a few hours, paranoia and nervousness will set in. Bet there are even more fun effects we'll find out about!"**

Father would protect me. He's dead. Accidental casualty of Batman. Again. He can't get back to a Lazarus Pit yet. Arranged to hold him outside my office until his men can sneak him out and revive him.

**"I wonder what it's like to be living the nightmare that you fear the most while hallucinating the same thing? Guess we'll learn!"**

If I die, will father bring us back? How would that work? I don't want to die. But I do. But I don't. I've spent every night for a month crying myself to sleep.

**"Wake up! You're not done yet. Not by a long shot."**

My resignation letter to Arkham was still incomplete. I wanted to leave. It would be best for us. Staying here would only hurt. I can't save him from himself. Joker and Strange broke him again. No fixing. I can't be with him. I want to so much, but my Jonathan is gone. The Scarecrow is at Arkham again.

_"W-why are you doing this?"_

I want my Jonathan back. I wanted the life we were going to have back. I can't have it back.

**"Why are you letting it? You could have called the police while I slept. You could have used that taser of yours. You could have resisted."**

Because of father I lost the man I love. I want to be furious at him, but I still can't build that much emotion up.

_"I...love you Jonath-"_

I don't want the life I have now. I want what I had. Not too long ago I was dreaming of having a happily ever after with the man I loved, with a cute Jonathan junior that we would nurture and help become a better person than either of us. Now I don't have Jonathan. Happily ever after averted.

**"Call me that name again and I'll use more fear gas on you than I have been!"**

I wrapped my arms around my body. I was going to continue living. I had a reason. Even if this wasn't the perfect life, it was what I had. This was what I had.

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><p><span>"I love you Penelope."<span>

That was something I doubted I would ever hear again. I hadn't heard it since before his fall. I wanted to though.

Why haven't I left yet? I'm resigning. I've decided that. So why haven't I finished my message and sent it in? I'm so empty now…only one thing is inside me and I can't bring myself to get rid of it. It'll be staying with me for quite awhile. But nothing's left here for me, so why did I linger?

I know that Jonathan will still be here when I leave. I wonder if he'll even care if I run. If he hurts me my father will kill him, and I know Jonathan wouldn't do something that suicidal.

And I know that Jonathan is keeping an eye on me to some degree. He's so busy messing with Kellerman that he can't fully focus on me though.

He still wants me. I can tell that. His sneer one day when we passed in the halls showed that.

I'm scared of him. He isn't the man I loved anymore. He's a monster now…but I can't help but love him still. He was the first man who loved me for being me. Even if that side of him's gone, it still had been there and I still remembered what we shared. That would never leave me.

I won't let my sick lover's twisted life pull me down. I'll leave this place. Leave him. Leave Joker and his plan to destroy Gotham behind. Live happily elsewhere. Not alone, never alone, but none of this craziness.

But the memories of Jonathan's emotions…his heart…they'll never leave my mind or heart.

Jonathan saved me from myself…I was a cruel, cold hearted woman who sought power at the expense of others. Now I am planning on giving that all up on the account of someone else. Someone dear to me.

Scarecrow taking me…it showed me that Jonathan won't ever be the man I was trying to make him. Because of some drugs and his own fear gas that won't ever be able to happen again.

I am ending this for us. So that we can be as happy as we can. He won't know.

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><p><em>AN: Those who have read the side story "To Have a Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart" should know where this is going. __The reason why this story is rated M is because of this chapter. I didn't specifically say anything. I hope I don't have to say anything. In case you somehow didn't catch it, read the next line._

_virginitiphobia-fear of being raped_

_Now, given this chapter's darker tone I think it is about time I say my own thoughts on the recent events surrounding the midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises in Colorado._

_Absolutely nothing can express the sorrow and sympathy that I feel right now towards the victims of the Dark Knight Rises massacre in Aurora, Colorado. There are sick people out there, people as bad or worse than those that we come across in any story or film. The disturbed people we see in our media are not people to be imitated or looked up to. They can be pitied like any troubled soul, but to actually empathize with them is something that should never happen._

_This story I am writing is about a disturbed individual. He has done atrocious things and will continue to do so. His madness came back to haunt him in his attempt to get better and in doing so ruined the life of another. This is a horrible thing. Feel bad for those involved, feel bad for the lives that will be shaped by the events, and feel bad about it all. **But first, take a moment and feel bad for the people who suffered from a real disturbed soul**. The victims need support, need people to show that they care. This world is flawed because we are only spurred to change and improve it when tragedy strikes, feelings that soon fade when some meaningless and trivial matter absorbs our attention. We need to always care, to always be improving it and helping others, if we wish for twisted tragedies such as the Aurora shooting to never occur again._

_**If anyone has set the standard, Batman himself has visited the victims. Christian Bale has earned his place as Batman, savior and hero of the people, by going and visiting the wounded on his own volition.** If more people were like him, who extended kindness when they did not need to, I have no fear that we all would be living in a different world. A better world. So, will youfollow the example set by Bale and support the victims? I ask that all of you do whatever you can to support these poor souls, be it sharing messages about the tragedy and the support efforts or be it donations of whatever you can spare._

_**One should not have to know someone to wish to help them.** When a delivery man slipped on the ice nearby my house and had a compound fracture in his leg, where the bone exits the skin, my mother brought him personally to the hospital and waited multiple hours there until he received treatment and painkillers. Never met the man before in her life, but she felt obligated to make sure he received the treatment he needed. He was passed over for patients with money for hours, given that he had no insurance and was poor, and it took forever before they even gave him a simple painkiller for his pain. Because of money, a man was left screaming in agony in a waiting room while people with trivial injuries and maladies were treated. Eventually sick of this my mother confronted them about it, and they asked what her relationship was with the man. She said they had never met before and that she was simply trying to do the right thing and help someone in need. Their response was a confused look, not understanding why someone would go this far for another human being. We need people who care about others, whether we know them or not. Our willingness to help others is often tied directly to how we will benefit from helping and how we will feel if we don't help. It is much easier to ignore the pain of someone you do not know than it is one you do know. So, again, I ask that you will do whatever it is you can to assist these people in need._

_I do not particularly wish to talk about the rights and wrongs surrounding the situation and the politics that have popped up around it too, and I ask that readers do not message about them here._

_I hope you enjoyed and are not too depressed. Please leave your thoughts and comments in the section below, as they will help me improve this story for everyone._


	76. Session 76: Taken For Granted

A/N: Not a very long chapter, but I have something in the works that will make up for that. The second side-story to this will be released in the coming days, so I hope you all will check it out! If you still haven't read the first one of them, I suggest you go do that! You can find it on my profile, titled "To Have a Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart". There is also the Nolanverse story I have written for TDKR about that version of Crane, so you can read that too! It's titled "Still Here".

Special thanks to pickelle, DarknessinShadows, Blacky391, Ozwolf, Sango1316, Licoricewolf, Jason Rulz Death and **an anonymous reviewer who didn't sign their name. **I want to thank whoever that anonymous reviewer was, so please, whoever wrote it I would like to thank you! You guys all are great and your feedback and support help me improve and continue this story for everyone!

Special call out to pickelle and solareon who are new readers who read through this entire story in a day. Thank you for your intense interest! I am sorry if I have taken your lives away from you and prevented you from doing whatever work it is that you do!

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

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><p>Penelope picked the large box up. Carrying it inside, she put it down on the floor and closed the door behind her. Kneeling down next to it, Penelope pried open the tan colored box of very large proportions. When the cardboard opened Penelope stuck her hand in the box and pulled out what she had ordered for Jonathan what felt like ages ago to her. Placing the object back in the box and into the packing peanuts, Penelope gave another sigh and sat down on the floor.<p>

She stared off into space and sighed. She didn't like how things had gone. Not at all. She still needed to clean the blood off her sheets, not that she slept in the room anymore. She slept on the couch, watching television until she cried herself to sleep most nights.

Penelope felt a little off balance and decided to just lay down there on the floor. She had tested her blood earlier and came back with peculiar results. She still had fear toxin in her system, and from what Jonathan had said she believed that the effects would be long lasting. The fact that she wasn't always hallucinating comforted her, but some nights she relived what happened. Jonathan wasn't there, no, he was carted off the Arkham the other day. Not because of what happened with her. No-one knew about that. Jonathan wasn't there to make her relive the events, but the fear gas occasionally made her hallucinate like he was.

Curling up in a ball, the doctor cried herself to sleep.

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><p>Jonathan Crane, or rather the Scarecrow, had left behind the house of the woman he ruined the life of and walked the streets of Gotham aimlessly. He wanted to torture another person before he returned for Penelope. Playing with the doctor too much would break her too badly. A drawn out torture would be best.<p>

The Scarecrow's travel brought him to where Hugo Strange had been torturing him, inside the mob warehouse. It was currently unoccupied except for himself, and so the Scarecrow wandered around in it for awhile until that was not the case anymore. Someone else returned to the scene, having followed Crane there when they caught his trail, "CRANE! WHERE ARE YOU!"

Scarecrow stepped out into the wide open part of the warehouse to see none other than Grant Walker. Chuckling, the madman spoke to Walker with a large grin on his face, "Oh, why hello again. You're name is Grant if I'm right. How are you doing this fine day?"

Grant pointed a gigantic muscular arm at Crane and yelled, "Shut up you bastard! We have a score to settle!"

The Scarecrow looked the mercenary man over, an obvious change in the man's musculature being apparent, "You look a whole lot more…muscular since we last saw one another. Been hitting the steroids I see."

Grant pointed a large hand at his now hulking body, nearly twice as tall as he was before and many times wider and thicker than he had been with muscles abound, "I thought that beating you down with your pretty little girlfriend's formula would be a good way of getting back at you for how you humiliated me!"

Completely unfazed by the size of his opponent, Scarecrow pulled out a fear gas grenade he had made, "Well, it seems Young finally managed to get it right. Maybe she isn't as bad as I thought."

With a burst of speed, Grant Walker crossed the warehouse and threw a hulking fist at Crane, "I'll break you in two!"

The Scarecrow jumped to the side to avoid the monstrosity that Grant had become, dropping the fear gas device in his hand as he did so. Scarecrow pulled on his own mask to gain its gas mask qualities as he laughed at how he was about to bring the towering man to his knees, but his laughing was cut off by the loud proclamation of Grant, "Your gas can't beat me!"

Scarecrow turned to look at Grant, who stood in the cloud of fear gas with no signs of being effected by the toxin. Unfazed as Grant was, Scarecrow pulled on his needle glove from the satchel he had brought, "Can a needle?"

Grant leapt at Crane again, bring a fist to where Crane's head had been. The resulting miss caused Grant to punch through the side of a metal crate, but the man was not at all hurt by this. Scarecrow had narrowly dodged his opponent and used the moment to stab the larger man with all of the needles he had. The new influx of fear toxin caused Grant to scream in pain as he felt the chemicals pump into his veins, "Ahhh!"

Ducking beneath a wild backhand from Grant, Crane began to lecture Walker, "Well, having muscles does not give one skill now does it?" stabbing the man again in a different part of the abdomen, Scarecrow yelled, "Especially when you don't know your own weight!"

A crazed swing of Grant's arm sent Scarecrow flying across the room, landing on his back and sliding a little ways before he stopped next to a crate, "Well, I guess you aren't completely pathetic," as he looked Grant over Crane noticed something unnerving, "What?"

Grant pumped his fists in the air, not at all trembling in fear like he should be, "It'll take more of that to put me down!"

Pulling himself onto his feet, the Scarecrow growled, "Well then that's what I'll do, monkey."

Grant crouched, getting ready to jump, "Just-" the giant burst into the air and brought his fists over his head, "-DIE!"

Scarecrow deftly avoided his opponent's attack again, the brutish man tumbling into the crate Crane had been next to, "No brute can just manhandle me to death. It didn't work for you last time, and it won't work for you this time."

The superhuman roared as he smashed the crate, "My father was a super soldier and now I am! I cannot fail now, not against a bastard like you!" Grant turned to look for Crane but could not find the gawky man, "I-"

Perched on the upper back of the giant was Scarecrow, who spoke in a sardonic voice, "Will die."

Grant screamed as he was stabbed in the neck with multiple needles, trying to reach onto his back but finding that he could not reach Crane. As soon as he stopped panicking enough to try bucking Crane off, Grant found that the man had already jumped off. Grant felt a severe pain in his head which was quickly followed by a hallucination of a half black, half orange oval. Distracted from Crane, it gave time for the former professor to speak, "It seems the Titan is counteracting some of my toxin. Note, I said _some. _The more of a dose I give you the more your reality will slip away," having paced towards the now pain ridden form of Grant, Scarecrow readied his needles, "Open wide."

As the next dose was added to Grant the hulking monstrosity screamed, familiar feelings washing over him, "Ahhhhh! NO! NOT AGAIN!"

Scarecrow cackled, "You're in my world now. I always do enjoy my new test subjects."

Grant collapsed on the ground and his head hit the ground with a loud thump. Unsatisfied with this, Crane grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up, "No, don't fall asleep my good sir. I have so many experiments to do. Your eternal sleep comes later."

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><p>AN: From TDKR I would have to say the number one great ham of the year rose. Bane was hilariously hammy. Saw it with my family a second time mainly just to see Bane. Bane was GREAT, and a better villain than Joker was in my book. Reason was that he was very much like the Joker in some regards, but better. Joker fights unfairly to beat the Batman? Bane fights unfairly AND has an intense amount of combat training. Joker wants to mess with people and does so with certain social experiments? Bane arms a nuclear weapon in the city, but gives the people false hope that they may survive so as to crush their spirits over time in the same fashion the prison he spent many years in had to him. Oh, and Bane broke the Bat. Curb stomp style.

Two people have beat Batman one on one in the Nolan-verse. Bane, of course, and Scarecrow. Scarecrow you ask? When Scarecrow first met Batman, he put Batman under his fear gas, set him on fire and caused him to fall out of a high building. Before the Bat could even throw a punch. Yeah, he did that. Score one for burlap boy!

_**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_


	77. Session 77: Friends Never Say Goodbye

_A/N: Okay, originally intended to submit the next side story with this chapter, but wisdom teeth surgery got in the way. I have been in absolute agony and unable to focus on writing as much as I would like. I barely finished this tonight! It'll be coming soon though, so keep an eye out!_

_Special thanks to DarknessinShadows and Bashlei for the great and very helpful reviews! You guys really help me improve and continue this story, so thank you a million times over!_

_If you readers haven't noticed, the timeline is jumping around a lot. This is on purpose. Instill a sense of chaos and whatnot befitting of a story about madness._

_If anyone here likes the Scarecrow from The Dark Knight trilogy, I suggest that you check out my one shot story "Still Here" that revolves around him after The Dark Knight Rises. Contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet I would suggest waiting to read it until after. Hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it. If enough support for it rises I might even make a sequel to it!_

_This chapter is inspired by Elton John's "Friends Never Say Goodbye" in part. I suggest you listen to that song if you want to get the right feel for the chapter!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

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><p>Arkham Asylum had many, many places to hide. If one truly did not want to be found and had an IQ higher than that of Victor Zsasz, they could hide out for days or even weeks before someone found them. Food would be an issue, but stealing this, that and another thing would come easily to one who could evade recapture for long.<p>

Despite being a bit of a creeper, Scarecrow had been unable to locate Doctor Young during his new stay at Arkham. She seemed to always be somewhere else when he thought he would pay her a visit. Normally he would go to Nigma for help, but the Riddler was free. And living next door to Young. This annoyed the 'Crow, for he knew Nigma had a tendency to kill those who he saw as feeble minded and ignorant which fit the poor woman to a tee. A dead doctor was a doctor he could not torture.

He wasn't done with her. Not by a long shot.

Still, he had ways of amusing himself if the doctor would not show her head. Ways that meant the suffering of others.

Speaking into a recorder, Scarecrow began to note his current 'experiment', "Patient Interview 1. Patient was referred to me after the incident with Dr. Murphy. He appears to have suffered a breakdown of sorts. I believe it was brought about after the loss of his wife and child. As yet, the patient has been unable to speak. Continued observation shows little mental activity. It's as if the shock of what he saw triggered his mental collapse."

Outside Crane's new hideout, some commotion arose that caused him to pause, "There's someone in here!"

Scarecrow frowned, knowing that his experiment was about to be drawn to an abrupt close as the security guards continued to speak, "It's him! We've found him!"

"Break down the door!" Soon enough, banging on the door he was behind could be heard and the imminent capture by the now heavily armed security guards of Arkham began to play out. After the recent Rogue escape from Arkham with Two-Face, Riddler, Catwoman and Freeze, the rich Bruce Wayne donated large sums of money to the asylum to upgrade its security.

Disgruntled, Crane spoke into the recorder, "Note to self. As ever, it is difficult to continue my research under such conditions."

The door burst down and guards armed with automatic weapons rushed into the room, "Step away from Dr. Combs."

"Now!"

"Get down on the ground!"

"We found them. Someone get a medic. Oh God, what's he done to him?"

Scarecrow grinned beneath his mask. What had he done to Combs? About every non-lethal type of fear gas in his arsenal.

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><p>Penelope begrudgingly opened her door, sick of the constant knocking. Upon doing so she was met with the sight of the horribly disfigured man known as Two-Face now, once known as Harvey Dent by the world, who opened his mouth to speak. The quick slamming of the door on him actually caught the former DA off guard, Penelope quickly shutting the door in anger.<p>

She hadn't directly met with him, but Maroni had explained the events of what happened to her through a liaison. Two-Face had caused the accident that pushed Jonathan over the edge, and that crash allowed Joker to make it even worse by injecting Jonathan with some formula. Two-Face had inadvertently caused the incident that caused her to cry herself to sleep the nights she could get any sleep.

The good side of the coin had come up when Two-Face had decided to confront Penelope. So, instead of threatening her or using her as a bargaining tool with Crane, Harvey Dent was there to apologize for what happened to Jonathan. Jonathan, the forensic psychiatrist who assisted him on cases years ago and who he hit the bars with after grueling days of fighting injustice. He was not sorry for what he did, no, because that was the way fate had turned for Crane. Harvey was sorry that he had lost his friend, possibly for good because of it. Dent would do the same thing again with no regret, but the loss of Jonathan Crane was not something he could quite get ignore or even feel righteous about.

After all, Penelope had lost her loved one because of a madman. Harvey could relate all too well. He still kept a picture of Rachel with him at all times, a remembrance of what was going to be and what his life had been like.

Harvey bowed his head, his gaze now on his feet but his mind completely elsewhere. He had just committed the same tragic wrong that the Joker and Falcone had to him, that had driven him over the edge and created his current persona. He had not intended fully to take Jonathan from Penelope, just make Jonathan work for him and help his own mob get off it's feet. Jonathan would still have the happy ending he had wanted with Penelope…that's what Harvey had thought. He believed that Jonathan _was_ the Scarecrow, but it turned out that his friend had an ailment similar to his own. Two-Face thought that bringing Scarecrow out merely meant getting Jonathan back in the game, not causing a psychological breakdown where one personality overtook another.

He had spent months with Crane in Arkham. They had met regularly and even discussed some lighter times on occasion. They were as close to friends as inmates in Arkham could manage. Jonathan took care of some hecklers who were bringing up unwanted past with Two-Face. Two-Face would create riots to distract the guards when his 'friend' wished to do something with no interference. Crane offered to actually treat Harvey as a patient if he ever so needed it, something he never offered another inmate. Harvey had helped spare doctor Young's life during his actual break out. They did each other favors, they respected each other.

Harvey knew from what he had learned that he would never see Jonathan again. Not the depressed and downtrodden geeky man who would drink a single beer to Harvey's six. Not the snarky man who when introduced to Bruce Wayne pointed out every one of the man's tactics he used to obfuscate stupidity and feign ignorance rather than suck up to the man and grovel for funding or money. That man was dead.

Because of a coin flip. Other factors were involved, but Harvey had done enough for it to matter. A coin flip just cost him an old friend. Harvey still remembered partying with Bruce Wayne and working hard with commissioner Gordon. They turned their backs on him when he went down his dark path and he could not blame them. He had chosen to forsake his life to go and exact revenge on those who had done him wrong. Avenging the past at the cost of his future.

Friends never say goodbye. They don't turn on each other. They don't threaten them, threaten their lover and then nearly cause the friend to die. A friend encourages another friend. Laughs with them and congratulates them on their accomplishments in work and in their personal lives.

A friend shares their lives and their experiences with a fellow friend. Stays with them along the hard road of live, through every struggle and problem that they face. They help each other in their struggles both personal and external without a second thought.

A friend struggles between which of his two closest friends he will ask to be his best man. With only three true, honest friends that was barely narrowing it down any. He goes to his almost mind reading friend and coworker about how to propose to his girlfriend…

Friends consoled one another over their losses, even if they didn't care much for who had passed away. Harvey shut his eyes as he remembered how Jonathan showed him empathy after the loss of Rachel.

Harvey felt a tear streak down the right side of his face. His eyes felt misty, completely confused about what he was thinking. The coin had dictated Jonathan's fate. Harvey had to stand by it. Jonathan had as much a chance of getting the good side as bad side. What was done was done to preserve the balance of chaos and order…but it wasn't right. Harvey knew that. For once, his trustworthy coin didn't do as it should have.

He had doomed Penelope Young, a doctor who he had actually been on good terms with before her relationship with Jonathan which only happed to boost his opinion of her, to a fate worse than his own. She was scarred in a different way than him. While Harvey's lover had died as a byproduct of their crusade against crime, Penelope had lost her lover to his own madness. Jonathan was still alive, a mockery of everything she had cared for in him. Harvey could only imagine what Rachel would feel if she knew what had become of him…but she hadn't had to live through that. No, Harvey's doctor was going to have to do just that and it was his fault. Rachel would be disappointed in him for everything he had done since her death…

But he still felt that it was the coin's fault. He just acted on the coin's behalf. Harvey just was following his rule. Pulling the coin out of his pocket, the scarred man looked down at it. After a moment of looking at the unscarred side of the coin, Harvey placed it back into his pocket and sighed.

The coin had been wrong.

Not wishing to disturb the poor woman any more, Harvey Dent walked back to his house with Nigma. He had some thinking to do.

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><p><em>AN: Believe it or not, this chapter actually has something to do with the overarcing plotline! Two-Face will remain a villain and go back to flipping his coin, but for the moment he is doubting himself because of what happened. You all will see in due time. Muahahahahahaha!_

_Awhile back I caught the 20,000 view mark of this story. It ironically had he nice review number of 175 as well and that was at chapter 71. Thank you all for the support! I posted the image on my deviantart account, which you can get to as my website on my profile page. _

_**That being said, there are a THOUSAND of you. Seeing as I only hear from a small portion of you (.2 to .6 percent on average), I don't know what you all are thinking! Please leave some feedback on what you're thinking about the story, it will help everyone.I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts! It really will help me make this story 20% cooler!**_

_**Button to make everything 20% cooler for everyone!**_

_**I**_

_**V**_


	78. Session 78: Analyze This

_A/N: This chapter is HEAVILY influenced by a movie of the same name. Check it out sometime! Robert Dinero is a mob boss and Billy Crystal is his (unwilling) shrink. Good times ensue. To show how heavily influenced this is by the movie, I brought in Dinero's bodyguard from the movie "Jelly" as Maroni's man._

_Now, for future plotlines to be explored in sequels hereafter, there are some fun hints for you people. Can you find them?_

_Special thanks go to DarknessinShadows, Bashlei, Seven-of-storms (twice!), Hawthorn Tree, Sango1316, and Ozwolf for the great reviews! You guys really help me improve and continue this story, so thank you a million times over!_

_If you readers haven't noticed, the timeline is jumping around a lot. This is on purpose. Instill a sense of chaos and whatnot befitting of a story about madness._

_If anyone here likes the Scarecrow from The Dark Knight trilogy, I suggest that you check out my one shot story "Still Here" that revolves around him after The Dark Knight Rises. Contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet I would suggest waiting to read it until after. Hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it. If enough support for it rises I might even make a sequel to it!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

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><p>On her way home from Arkham, Penelope let out a breath of exasperation at the traffic she was facing. The roads were packed and the drive that shouldn't take all that long was now going to cut into her lay down and cry time at night. She was starving too and wanted to get food in her stomach as soon as possible. She didn't know how things worked in her condition, but she didn't want to take chances of any kind.<p>

Currently at a traffic light with one car in-between her and the light, Penelope was on the first street in seemingly forever to only have a couple of cars and only the one in front of her was on her side of the street. She hadn't looked at the light yet, but when Penelope did so the red light caused her heart to pick up its pace. The red light and the area around it faded away in her eyes, replaced instead with a different kind of red.

Penelope closed her eyes, looked down away from the light and shook her head, but the picture of blood splattered across her bed didn't leave her eyes. The doctor continued to shake her head as her mind continued to put forth cruel images for her to face, "No, not now! Get out of my head!"

Squeezing her hands on the steering wheel and bringing her head down to the center of the wheel, Penelope stomped her foot down as she saw the blood grow in quantity and her sheets begin to be completely stained by it, "Jonathan!"

Unfortunately for Penelope, she had stomped her foot down on the gas pedal. Quickly accelerating, her car crashed into the one in front of her as it began to pull forward due to the now green light.

Having completely smashed the rear part of the town car she had been behind, Penelope's anxiety grew but the hallucinations formed by the lingering fear gas faded. Opening her door, Penelope rushed out of her car and over to the other car. The man in the driver seat of the car rolled down his window, revealing a rotund man in a business suit.

Fumbling in her pocket, Penelope bent down to talk to the man, "I am so sorry! That was completely my fault," getting what she wanted out of her pocket, Penelope pulled out a couple of cards, "This is my contact information and-"

The man shook his head, relaxed, "Don't worry about it."

Penelope shook her head and held her cards out to the man, "Please, take them even. In case you change your mind."

The man rolled his eyes and took the cards from her, "It's okay miss. Just get back to your car," looking into the back of the car, the suited man looked at his crime boss, "I got somewhere I need to be."

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><p>Another day, another meeting in the Maroni restaurant. The Chechen, Gambol, and Maroni himself entered after their enforcers were able to shoo the last customer out in all of his green suit and bowler cap wearing ways.<p>

The three Mafioso bosses took their usual seats at the same table they always did. The Chechen ate his food as he casually went over his drug trade while Gambol ranted about his weapon shipments and the issues vigilantes and criminals alike were giving his men. Like usual, Salvatore Maroni sat back as they talked and discussed their business. He liked listening more than talking, but only to those who he wanted to hear talk.

What was different that day was the fact that Maroni was not listening. He was trying, but he felt nervous. His heart was racing and he felt a little light headed as his friend and his associate discussed business. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he tried to hide it from the other mob bosses. They were too engrossed with the meeting to notice him acting a little off.

Maroni let out a small sigh as the meeting he was completely missing out on went on.

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><p>Laying down on a luxurious bed, Gotham's closest thing to a Godfather was unable to sleep. He had not taken sleeping pills, having lost a dear aunt to drug usage, and normal sleep was not finding him.<p>

Pulling the sheet over his head didn't help him beyond blocking out the dawn's early rays of light. Tears fell down Maroni's eyes, but he could not understand what the hell he was actually going through. The last time he had felt like this was about two and a half decades ago, and this feeling he had in his chest was just killing him.

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><p>Only having gotten a couple hours of rest, Maroni pulled on his normal grey suit around his white dress shirt. Fumbling with the tie, the Italian mob boss managed to make a decent tie from years of practice.<p>

Walking out of his room, Salvatore "The Boss" Maroni came face to face with one of his trusted bodyguards. He liked to call the man Jelly due to his rotund body, and the simple man didn't mind.

"What is it Jelly?"

The bodyguard looked his weary boss over and frowned, "You don't look so good boss. What's up?"

Maroni sighed and lowered his head, "Nothing my friend."

Jelly tilted his head, "Is it because of that lady who hit your favorite car?"

Sal let out a weak laugh, "No Jelly, that's your favorite car. And that's not the problem," thinking for a moment, the boss added, "I don't got a problem, got it?"

His bodyguard kept his frown but complied, "Got it," an idea came to the simple man's mind, "You know boss, if it would cheer you up we could visit that lady and show her why you don't mess with the Maroni's," pulling the card he had received the day prior out of his pocket the fat man read, "Penelope Young, Arkham Asylum Psychiatrist, curer of Jonathan Crane-"

Maroni held a hand up to cut off his man, "Hold it. I think I know of this woman. I think we will visit her."

Jelly strapped himself into the town car he had driven to his boss' residence, having received orders to wear one every time he drove from the boss, "Why do you need to see this shrink anyways?"

Salvatore finished buckling himself in and laid back in his seat, "It's not for me, it's for my friend. My friend's having some problems, and I'm going to get some questions answered for my friend. Oh, and remember to stop at lights Jelly."

Jelly nodded and began to pull out of the driveway, his boss adding, "And nobody can know. God forbid someone hears I've been talking to a shrink," Maroni put a hand over his chest and closed his eyes, "That's all I would need," the mob boss sighed and opened his eyes, "It could be interpreted the wrong way, know what I mean?"

"No-one will ever know," the driver pledged. After a moment of silence, Jelly added, "Can I just ask one question?"

Maroni shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, go ahead."

"This friend. Is it me?"

Salvatore Maroni did not know whether to sigh or laugh, but decided to laugh as he responded in a joking tone, "Yeah, it's you."

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><p>A knock on Penelope's door roused her from her shaky sleep. She yawned and wrapped her arms around her stomach, content with ignoring whoever was at the door and going back to her nightmares. The knocking persisted and so Penelope rubbed her eyes and got up. She was sure it was Nigma coming by to ask her how she was doing again, and sending him away would prevent herself from hearing his incessant knocking on her door for the next twelve hours.<p>

Opening her door angrily, Penelope rubbed one tired eye as she yawned, "What is it-" seeing who was outside of it caused her to stop and change what she was saying as well as thinking, "Oh, you're the man I hit with my car! I'm so sorry about that. I take it that you're here to-"

The rotund man known as Jelly nodded to her, but didn't speak as he stepped out of the way of his boss. Penelope gaped as she looked at Salvatore Maroni, Gotham's top mob boss. Maroni nodded to her before he asked, "You know me?"

Penelope swallowed her breath and nodded nervously, "Y-yes."

Maroni shook his head, "No you don't."

"O-okay," the doctor replied, a little confused but understanding that the man didn't want her to act as though the top of Gotham's underworld was talking to her at her own very house. She took a couple steps back into her house to give the man space to enter with the reasoning that if he wanted to enter then she should not inhibit him. Angering such a man was not a wise decision.

Waving his bodyguard off, Maroni entered the house and asked another question, "See my picture in the paper?"

Penelope nodded, "Yes."

Again, Maroni stated, "No you didn't."

Nodding quickly as she closed the door behind him, Penelope replied, "I didn't even get the paper."

Taking a look around Penelope's mostly open house with only counters separating the living room and the kitchen, Maroni asked, "You don't got no bugs in here, do ya?"

The doctor tilted her head in confusion which resulted in the mob boss clarifying, "Bugs. Bugs, recording equipment."

Penelope shook her head no, "No, I don't need that kind of thing in my house. I record at work, but not here."

Salvatore nodded and walked around the house a little, glancing at a few things in it without saying a word. Nervous as she possibly could be, Penelope spoke, "Ma-Maroni? May I ask…what are you doing here?"

Maroni picked up a small object and looked at it, looking at it instead of her as he responded, "You're a doctor, right? A head doctor?"

Completely confused, Penelope replied, "Ye-yes, I, um, am."

Placing the small object, a picture frame of Jonathan and Penelope leaning on one another, Salvatore turned to Penelope and smiled, "Relax a little. I'm the guy who saved your boyfriend and brought him back," glancing back at the photo caused the mob boss to sigh as he remembered something, "I'm sorry to hear about his recent detainment and insanity though. Seemed like a good man."

Penelope looked down at the floor sadly, "Yes…he was. I miss him," taking a moment to gather herself, Penelope looked back up at Maroni and asked, "I ta-take it that you want to have a therapy session?"

Maroni nodded, "You could say that," thinking briefly about what he wanted to say and what not to say caused the mob boss to reconsider what he had already said, "Well, I've got a friend. This friend's got problems and is probably got to see a shrink. So I'm going to ask you a couple of questions," the man let out a breath, "I've never done this kind of thing before. How does this work exactly? We sit down, talk?"

The doctor took a moment to decide on what she wanted to say in response before just shrugging, "Whatever makes you comfortable. Usually, we introduce ourselves and then discuss whatever problem it is that you're facing that has brought you here. I've never met with a member of the mob outside Arkham though…"

Taking a seat on Penelope's couch, Maroni responded to the woman, "Don't worry. No-one knows I'm here but my bodyguard, and he would die before tellin' anybody anything."

Penelope nodded and took a seat on the only chair in her living room, "I see. Well, my name is Penelope Young. It is a…pleasure to meet you?"

Maroni chuckled, "Still a bit nervous, eh? Well don't worry, I don't think you'll be as scared of my friend," after placing his hands on his thighs and rubbing off his nervous sweat Salvatore asked, "Well, okay, who starts?"

Penelope looked calmly at Salvatore and replied, "Why don't you tell me why you think you need therapy."

A little perturbed, Maroni responded angrily, "I'm not the one who needs therapy, I just told you that. It's for my friend-"

Realizing her apparent mistake, Penelope quickly tried to do damage control, "I'm sorry."

Maroni continued his complaint, "-didn't you hear me say that?"

"I'm sorry," Penelope repeated nervously.

Still upset that Penelope caught him in his lie, Maroni kept on being critical to hide his insecurity, "You guys are supposed to be so good at listening, and ya can't even remember what I said two seconds ago."

Penelope winced, "So sorry, my apologies. That was my fault completely, I apologize," the mob boss calming down now, Penelope asked, "Why don't we start over and why don't you just tell me about your friend?"

Maroni sat back on the couch and tried to talk about himself without saying anything that exactly meant him, "This friend, ya know, he's…he's a very powerful guy. Never had trouble dealing with nothing. Now all of a sudden he's falling apart. He-he cries for no reason, he can't sleep, he can't be with his friends, all of a sudden he gets nervous around them, like he wants to get away from them, and these are guys he knows his whole life ya know?"

Penelope nodded her head and listened as the man continued, "This guy…this guy just wants to know what he can do to make it stop."

Taking in a breath, Penelope decided to cut to the chase, "Mr. Maroni…I'm going to go out on a limb here. I think, your friend…is you."

Maroni didn't respond instantly. He looked at the doctor seriously for a moment before pointing a finger at her, grinning as he spoke, "You. You. You got a gift my friend. You got a gift," Penelope shook her head modestly, not feeling comfortable receiving a compliment of the kind from Gotham's mob king himself. Maroni didn't let her be modest however, "Oh yeah, you saw there was something I was trying to do and you figured that out, that's why are who you are. You got a gift."

Penelope shook her head again, "No, no I don't."

Amused, the man replied as he continued to point his finger and wag it slightly at her, "Yes you do."

A little embarrassed, Penelope shook her head again, "No, I really don't."

More serious now, Maroni said without humor, "Yes you do," while he lowered his hand to his lap the mob boss decided to get things moving again, "Go on."

Continuing where she had left off, Penelope spoke, "I think…well, that, medication could help."

Salvatore frowned and shook his head no, "Drugs? Can't do drugs. I don't do drugs."

Reluctantly Penelope suggested the next course of action she thought could work, "Well, if you really want to get to the root of the problem, you're going to want to get some form of therapy."

"Well-well with you or someone?" Maroni responded.

"Me? I-no, I don't think…"

Ignoring her refusal, Maroni stood up and continued speaking, "You really helped me. I think there might be more to this kind of thing than I thought. Just letting it out helped me."

After he was fully upright, something caught Maroni's eye. A large stuffed animal on the couch that he hadn't noticed while sitting down caused the mob boss to lift his eyebrow, "You got any kids?"

Penelope blushed, both embarrassed and remembering her little secret, and looked down on the ground, "No-not yet."

Seeing that a hand had gone to her stomach, Maroni sighed in a sad way, "Ah, I see. Johnny's?"

Penelope completely averted her eyes from Salvatore while she spoke in a saddened voice, "Yes…he doesn't know though. I actually really don't want him to."

The mob boss nodded, "Understandable. He's gone off the deep end and it wouldn't do you any good to have him know you're with child. His child."

Walking over to Penelope, Sal patted her on the shoulder, "Really doc, try to relax a little more. It might do ya some good. Johnny respected me and went as far as to offer his condolences over my wife's death when he could have justifiably laughed."

Suddenly seeing an opening into his personal life and what might be causing him his grief, Penelope blurted, "Would you like to talk more about your wife?"

Salvatore blinked before nodding, "Yes," then he shook his head, "but no. You see, being all sentimental like this is seen as a weakness by my fellow associates. Being the top boss, I don't-"

Looking up at him so that their eyes met, Penelope spoke directly to him, "Mister Maroni, I won't judge you. I am the last person who can criticize someone else for feeling bad about the loss of a lover. And besides, I am here to help you."

The head of the Italian mafia chuckled as he took his hand off the doctor's shoulder and moved to go sit back down, "I can see why Crane liked you. Alright, so here's the story. My wife Tabitha, Tabby for short, was the first girl I ever had feelings for. We met each other before we could ever have realized we met, we were that young. She was a straight laced woman, serious in her whatever work she might be doing but also kind towards her friends."

"I was a bit of a smartass when I was younger, but she never seemed to care. She actually liked having wars with words and to have fun banter going on. She hated the gangs I would hang out in, but she never would say anything to me. I think she wanted me to either be happy doing what I wanted or wanted me to stop being a gangster on my own," he chuckled whimsically, "second part never really happened."

Maroni closed his eyes and smiled as he remembered the past, the past where he was a happy man, "She went on to college, I went on to be an enforcer. We were still only friends although I had been denying my feelings for her for nearly a decade by that point. I kept some distance from her, thinking that since she was going to be a lawyer when she finished school that her hanging out with me would kill her career. Come a few years later, she graduates and becomes the lawyer of my family. Imagine my surprise. Damn good lawyer too, keeping my arse out of jail quite a few times."

"Now that she was working for the family and all, I decided that I needed to keep an eye on kinda sorta grew a little closer than friends. To others our getting married would seem all of a sudden, but to us it felt like…like something that we had been putting off for years."

The happy grin that had grown on the man's face faded and was slowly replaced by a frown, "I was a very happy man for less than a year…"

Kind of stunned to learn that the man who was in charge of so many bad things in Gotham was human too, Penelope decided to empathize with him and his story, "You know, I spent a lot of time getting to know Jonathan. Generally patients and doctors meet about once a week at Arkham, with multiple doctors doing different things with the patients. Jonathan and I grew close, more so than doctors and patients should, but we didn't care. I only had just gotten him out when I lost him. I…I'm sorry for your loss. I may not have known Jonathan my whole life like you had your wife, but finally being able to be with someone and then having them taken from you…that's something that I feel every day."

Salvatore looked up at her and asked, "Would you mind if we did this again sometime? I used to think you shrinks were like magicians, just pulling peoples' legs, but I actually feel better now that I've talked about these issues. You know, after getting this stuff off my chest I actually feel a little better," his frown fading and becoming a smile again, the aged man pointed a finger at Penelope once more, "You, you're good. "

Penelope smiled back at him and nodded, "Of course we can have another meeting. I've reduced my hours at the asylum recently so I certainly have the time to meet with you. I…uh, have a question though…"

Maroni nodded to her, "Don't worry. I'll take care of whatever heat you get for meeting with me if someone somehow finds out."

Penelope nodded back to him, "Thank you."

Glancing down at her belly, the mob boss chuckled, "You thinking of names yet doc?"

Using the moment to once again learn about her new patient, Penelope asked, "Why? Had you thought of any names yet with your wife?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, but we hadn't decided. We were thinking something with an S."

"Because your name starts with an S?" Penelope asked, thinking maybe

Salvatore Maroni shrugged again and laughed, "You know, it's been so long I forgot why."

Looking up at the ceiling, Maroni began to recite the names that he had come across and thought about, "On the Italian side we have Salvatora, Severina, Silvia, and Speranza. Salvatora would be nice, since it's like my name with an A at the end. There are other names out there though other than Italian ones…Sabrina, Sally, Salimah, Shea, Sicily, Sierra, Stephanie, Susan, Stacy, Selina, Sarah, Scarlett, Shannon, Sadie…" Sal chuckled to himself as he fondly remembered the days he would spend with his wife talking about their future baby girl, "Guess I haven't forgotten that much after all."

_Maybe_, he pondered, _this therapy thing isn't so bad after all._

* * *

><p><em>AN: Looks like Penelope's got a new patient to help out! Since I can't have her interacting with Jonathan and having her always deal with Riddler and Two-Face would get old (as well as be odd, given her dislike of them), this is what we get!_

_Anyone catch the hints of stories yet to come? I would love to hear your theories and ideas about what you think you saw:D_

_** Hey guys, just wanted to say that there are a THOUSAND of you! Seeing as I only hear from a small portion of you (.2 to .6 percent on average), I don't know what you all are thinking! Please leave some feedback on what you're thinking about the story, it will help everyone.I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts! It really will help me make this story 20% cooler!**_

_**Button to make everything 20% cooler for everyone!**_

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	79. Session 79: Something Evil is Afoot

_A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I have good news! The prequel to this story (a prequel in and of itself) can now be found on my profile if you look for my newest story. It is titled "Reflection" and is a nice contrast to the serious, plot driven main story right now. I hope you all enjoy it!_

_Special thanks go out to Bashlei and DarknessinShadows for the excellent reviews that were extremely helpful! Also special thanks to Megatronus-Prime, Simsen and Dana23768 for adding this to their alert list and to Megatronus-Prime for adding it to their favorites! You guys all rock and your feedback helps me make this story better for everyone!_

_Short chapter warning with lots of events and characters!_

_If anyone here likes the Scarecrow from The Dark Knight trilogy, I suggest that you check out my one shot story "Still Here" that revolves around him after The Dark Knight Rises. Contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet I would suggest waiting to read it until after. Hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it. If enough support for it rises I might even make a sequel to it!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

* * *

><p>It was a night like any other in Gotham. A nice clear sky, beautiful harbor with signs of winter, arson being committed, murders being held, jaywalking, nightly commutes to home, the Joker holding up a bank, the usual.<p>

Or rather, that's how the night _appeared_ to be running. Catwoman was crouching on a gargoyle statue on a rooftop watching this night play out in anticipation of some Bat-action when she got what she wanted. Sort of.

Batman swung onto the rooftop she was next to and prepared to grapple to the next roof when a slender figure jumped onto the rooftop. First instinct being to pull out a Batarang, Batman quickly lowered it when he saw who was approaching him. Not having time to deal with Catwoman and the games she played with him, Batman pointed his grapple line again and readied to leave when she spoke up.

"Hey handsome, where are you headed?"

A scowl transplanted almost permanently on the vigilante man's face met her playful look, "Robin found some activity by the League of Assassins. If they are here in force, then something bad is going to happen."

Stretching her unused limbs, Selina purred, "Mind if I tag along?"

Batman nodded gruffly while holding his gas-powered grappling hook still in the air, "Yes."

"You sure?" Catwoman prodded, now within hand distance of Batman. This worried the Dark Knight, for he did not wish for her distractions.

The Batman grunted, "I have Robin."

Selina tilted her head back and she let out a loud laugh, "Boy wonder, really? That's your backup?" She asked incredulously, "Against the organization that trained _you_ of all people, old-fashioned ninjas and all?"

Batman fired his grappling hook and flung towards another building, not at all responding to the rogue. Catwoman crossed her arms and scowled, "Fine. See how much I care."

She didn't move, indignant over his abrupt departure.

...

...

...

...

Selina continued to stand still, angry that she had been left hanging like that.

...

...

...

"Okay, damn it, I care."

* * *

><p>Batman could see Ra's al Ghul and a handful of his assassins at the boarding zone of the city's railway. The railway Bruce Wayne's family had built to help the citizens of Gotham by having a cheap way of getting around the city. Batman clenched his fist lightly as he saw Ra's and his men begin to load a large device onto the train stationed there. Ra's was definitely up to something, and whatever it was it could not be good. The lack of major activity by the criminal should have been a telling sign of the impending destroy Gotham plan, but Batman had been too busy tracking down the elusive Joker, Riddler and Two-Face to worry about that. Even Crane was missing these days, something that worried Batman more than the missing Riddler or Two-Face.<p>

The metal door of the building Batman was stationed atop was kicked off of its hinges, the vigilante quickly leaping out of the way of the flying door. A quick look revealed that the newcomer this time around was a hulking chunk of metal, one that was wielding a large and powerful freeze ray gun, "Freeze?"

Victor Freeze tilted his domed helmet over to where the League of Assassins were gathered, his gun leveled at Batman as he spoke, "I have no intention of letting this city be destroyed while Nora is here. I came up here to offer a temporary truce."

Batman narrowed his eyes at Freeze and pointed his index finger at the frost-bitten man, "Fine. Stay out of my way Victor."

Freeze nodded back to the man, "And you out of mine, Batman."

* * *

><p>When a thump was heard by Ra's al Ghul the crusader did not even turn to face whichever assassin of his had been taken out, just talking politely as he fiddled with his device on the train, "Glad you could join us detective," standing up fully at his height of six feet three inches, Ra's al Ghul picked up the unconscious form of Robin and held it limply in his outstretched arm towards Batman, "I didn't think you the type to allow others to do your work for you. A pity really," Batman scowled and retrieved a Batarang, but Ra's held his other hand up to calm the man, "I made sure he received a very warm welcome. Don't worry, he still breathes and he will continue to do so as long as you don't interfere."<p>

Batman frowned and kept his Batarang ready to throw as two of Ra's al Ghul's men approached him, "Now you have to take hostages to beat me Ra's?"

Ra's motioned for his men to stay their hand for the moment while he spoke in a neutral tone, "I would take Talia hostage if it meant stopping you for ruining my schemes and saving this world, detective."

Bruce Wayne shook his head sadly, "I don't doubt it. You have fallen Ra's, and it's about time you stayed dead."

The head of the demon grinned darkly at his foe, "My greatest enemy, if you kill me you will have broken your rule. The only rule that separates the two of us, I might add."

Ignoring the comparison, Batman asked, "Why here Ra's? Why Gotham? Why kill all the people for the wrongs of a few?"

A picture of Penelope entered Ra's' mind and caused the evil man to shake his head, "I have not targeted it all. No, I have certain people in this city I wish to protect from the coming tide of chaos," now nodding, he agreed with Batman, "For the most part though, yes, Gotham will all be destroyed as will the citizens in it. Their collective fear and their apathy has led to the most corrupt society ever witnessed on this planet. The League of Assassins has infiltrated every level of the city and every key position, _that_ is how corrupt this broken city is. They do not have the will to act, to do what needs to be done and so we will do it for them."

"What's the plan this time Ra's? Fear gas from Crane to cause panic?"

Ra's nodded triumphantly, "Precisely. My plan to save Gotham over a hundred years ago failed, and my plan to cripple its economy and kill it that way only wounded the beast. It would have been a killing blow if not for misplaced idealists such as your parents, who thought they could somehow save this city. They failed-"

Ra's yelled as a stream of ice slammed into his side and knocked him over, interrupting the man's would be grandiose speech while the unconscious form of Robin falling to the floor. "A man crusading to save the world and yet you would kill your own daughter. How sad."

Batman used the moment of confusion to lunge towards Robin one of the two assassins and begin combating them, a blast of ice crashing into the other before they could figure out what was going on. Ra's al Ghul rubbed his skull as he got up from the ground, "What-?" Seeing Victor Freeze in the nearby area, the head of the demon pointed to the Rogue and yelled, "Take care of him!"

More assassins arose from the shadows in the area and leapt to combat Freeze while Ra's entered the train and started it up, intent on not letting anything get in his way. Freeze batted one assassin away with his powered armor, breaking the man's spine as he slammed into a wall brutally. Freeze aimed his gun at another and fired it while speaking to his temporary ally, "You are free to engage our common enemy Batman. Go, these petty anarchists will not trouble you."

Batman looked down at the unconscious Robin, but he knew that if he didn't stop the train that more people than just Tim Drake would be in trouble. The assassins wouldn't touch Robin without their leader's command, and Ra's was busy trying to transport whatever device he was using. Batman shot his grappling hook onto the top of the train as it pulled away and accelerated, quickly speeding towards the moving vehicle.

Crashing in through the back window, Batman braced himself for the coming confrontation.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Short and borrowed heavily from Batman Begins, I know. I've been focusing on the next chapter to be honest, chapter 80 because of an important scene in it. I hope you all enjoyed this and I hope you all will enjoy the next chapter!_

_Hey guys, just wanted to say that there are a THOUSAND of you! Seeing as I only hear from a small portion of you (.2 to .6 percent on average), I don't know what you all are thinking! Please leave some feedback on what you're thinking about the story, it will help everyone.I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts! It really will help me make this story 20% cooler!_

_**Button to make everything 20% cooler for everyone!**_

_**I**_

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	80. Session 80: Trainwrecked, Shipwrecked

_A/N: Longest chapter in a good while! I would have to count, but this is among the longest chapters in the story yet! I hope that doesn't bore you all. It has a lot of quotes from Batman Begins again for the beginning, but after that things get original. You will see what I call Frankenquotes. Quotes that are spliced together so that they fit the situation better and as I see fit! Muahahahahaha!_

_Now, you all thought you were getting lucky with the amount of guest appearances last chapter? You have no idea...this chapter will certainly please you all!_

_If you readers haven't noticed, the timeline is jumping around a lot. This is on purpose. Instill a sense of chaos and whatnot befitting of a story about madness._

_If anyone here likes the Scarecrow from The Dark Knight trilogy, I suggest that you check out my one shot story "Still Here" that revolves around him after The Dark Knight Rises. Contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet I would suggest waiting to read it until after. Hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it. If enough support for it rises I might even make a sequel to it!_

_I also have released the side story prequel to this story, "Reflection", if anyone wants to go read it! You can find it by going to my page. Those who like Harvey Dent will be pleased to learn that he features heavily in it!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

* * *

><p>Ra's al Ghul turned his head when he heard Batman crash into the back of the otherwise silent train. One of them was on each end, Ra's in front and with the device he had been setting up before. It was a large box like machine that held the power to evaporate specific areas of liquid, the intent being to evaporate the fear gas that Ra's had been putting into the water supply of Gotham since he last returned to it. People would be in for the night of their lives when nightmares became real.<p>

Ra's spoke to Batman as the other took to a fighting stance, "Stand down Bruce."

Batman clenched his fists and drew closer to the katana wielding man, a weapon that was slowly drawn as Bruce Wayne approached his former mentor, "And let you destroy Gotham? We've been over this Ra's. If you want to destroy the criminal underworld, why don't you just assist the police force in catching them all?"

Ra's shook his head sadly, always regretting that the man he had taught under the guise of Henri Ducard would not join him, "Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's understanding. Of all people I thought you would know this, Bruce."

Batman warily continued towards Ra's, eyes focused on the blade that could skewer him in an instant, "Surrender Ra's. This is your last chance. After that I will stop you and this train forcibly."

The head of the demon moved a hand from his katana to the train car's controls, "Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share," holding his katana out in Bruce's path, Ra's al Ghul quickly stopped the train and used inertia to cause the Dark Knight to be launched forward at the blade, "and it is not something I shall give you!"

The Dark Knight grabbed onto a pole meant to hold by standing passengers and stopped his quick movement forward, instead quickly catching his feet and jumping back from Ra's, "It is what separates a madman like you from me."

Ra's scowled at his former disciple while he got the train moving again, "Oh come now Bruce, you must admit that if the League of Assassins did not kill then we would no doubt be allies," the crusader now took the initiative and lunged at Batman with his blade, "One single thing separates you and I."

Batman threw up his armored arm and caught the blade in his bladed gauntlet, "And it always will!"

Ra's pressed down on the gauntlet forcibly, "No one can save Gotham," dislodging the blade from the gauntlet gave Ra's the split second he needed to strike Bruce across the face. Ra's quickly followed this strike up with a slash from his blade, but the Dark Knight adeptly dodged it. Knowing that if he prolonged the fight enough that his plan would be completed by default, for the destination and place where the machine would be fully implemented lay at the end of the railway, Ra's continued to speak to his enemy, "When a forest grows too wild, a purging fire is inevitable and natural. Tomorrow, the world will watch in horror as its greatest city destroys itself. The movement back to harmony will be unstoppable this time."

The Dark Knight continued to hesitate in striking at Ra's given the weapon advantage the other had in their contained fighting quarters. Still, Batman acted like he was not at all worried about the situation despite the bad odds he had going for him, "You'll be beaten like every time before, Ra's."

Ra's scoffed and grinned slyly, "Oh really? By a man as weak as yourself, coming from weak parents? They were gunned down by one of the very people they were trying to help. Create enough hunger and everyone becomes a criminal," Ra's scowled as he remembered how Thomas and Martha's efforts and demises counteracted the plan he had spent so much time on, "Their deaths galvanized the city unto saving itself and Gotham has _limped_ on ever since. The League of Assassins are back to finish the job," Ra's pointed a finger at the man he had raised like a child, "And this time, no misguided idealists will stand in the way," smirking again, Ra's leant a little towards Bruce, "Like your father, you lack the courage to do all that is necessary."

Batman quickly drew a Batarang from his belt and hurled it at Ra's, "My father was not a coward!"

Ra's batted the projectile down, a moment Batman used to close their distance and strike. Ra's parried the Dark Knight's attack with his sword, only for it to get caught again. Still just trying to buy time and not kill his opponent, Ra's decided to rib him more and prolong the encounter yet again, "He lacked the will to act, and that earned him and your mother a place in the cemetery outside Wayne Manor. Your anger at this loss has given you great strength, but it will one day destroy you as it almost did me years ago," Ra's continued to press down with his long and strong arms against Batman's arm, the hero slowly pushing Ra's and his sword back. The head of the demon leant over his sword so that his face was right near Bruce's before the villain spoke in a lighter voice, "You cannot find solace because you look in the wrong places Bruce. You bring out what Joe Chill did on every other criminal because you never took vengeance on him yourself. You lack the strength to act as necessary as your father did, you lack the will to kill when it is what should be done."

The Dark Knight grunted and pulled his open fist back to strike, "You've died on my account before Ra's."

Ra's al Ghul easily sidestepped the punch Batman threw at him while maintaining his position in their power struggle, "But have you hunted and destroyed each of my Lazarus Pits? Have you made sure my body cannot be revived?" Ra's al Ghul chuckled, "I am almost beginning to think my time training you and raising you as if you were my own son has grown a soft spot in you for me."

With a forceful movement, Batman used the sharp edges jutting from his gauntlet to break Ra's blade before Batman quickly shot his other arm and fist out and connected it with his opponent's face, "Believe me Ra's, that soft spot left when you burned down my house and left me for dead."

Ra's quickly tossed his broken weapon at Batman as the vigilante moved to attack again, an action quickly followed by a punch from the criminal mastermind into the Vigilante's face, "Justice is about balance. You burned my house down and left me for dead and I did the same to you," as Batman recoiled Ra's grinned smugly, "Neither of us are worse off for it I might mention."

Bruce Wayne wiped the small trickle of blood from his busted lip, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

"The world is blind already Bruce," Ra's lifted his arms into a boxing stance and prepared to fight again, "But because everyone is blind no-one can see that."

The man who was less disillusioned with the world threw a gauntleted fist at his mentor, "Ra's, what did you think you were going to accomplish with this?"

Ra's dodged the fist and returned with a jab of his own, "Humankind must be forced to serve the planet instead of its own appetites," the Dark Knight now dodging his strike, Ra's followed it up with a straight to the man's face, "Making an example of Gotham might just help spur the rest of the world to this end," Ra's al Ghul's strike never hit Batman as it was cut short when the man had to quickly shift his arms to block an incoming blow, "They will fear us and what we can do, and that is why they will act," Ra's succeeded in parrying Batman's strike and sent one back at him, "If not we will do it again and again until whomever remains respects the planet and works for it rather than against it."

Batman jumped back as an idea came to mind, disengaging from combat to give himself space to put an end to the train, "I am sick of having to prevent your genocides. It ends here Ra's. "

The head of the demon scowled and lifted his hands up into his boxing stance, "You are weak! You will die in the same city your parents foolishly tried to save!"

Batman moved over and punched out the window of the train, "Not today," shooting a hook onto the oncoming billboard the train was about to pass, Batman secured the other end firmly on the pole used to help people stand up in the train, "not ever Ra's."

Ra's al Ghul scowled as he realized what was about to happen. He couldn't jump off a speeding train and live, and there was no clear exit except the busted windows in the train which was about to be derailed, "Then you finally have learned to act and do what is necessary?"

Batman climbed atop of the window he had just broken and prepared to jump, "Not necessarily," he turned to face Ra's and narrowed his eyes behind his cowl, "I won't kill you Ra's. But I won't save you either."

* * *

><p>Talia al Ghul watched as the speeding train her father was on careened off the rails it was traveling on, smash into the ground at a high speed and then crashed right into a building that held a build board on top. The machine inside of the train that was the key part of Ra's al Ghul's plan had had enough at that point and imploded, the train becoming a smoldering wreckage.<p>

Batman glided down to the ground away from the above ground railway, but he had not been watching where he was landing. He had landed right in the midst of yet more League of Assassins members, Talia included. With one hand Talia motioned for her minions to not attack while with the other Talia stabbed Batman through the left side of his back chest cavity, "Hello Bruce. I see that you just killed my father."

The Dark Knight gasped in pain, the femme fatal's weapon almost having stabbed him in the heart, "Talia-"

In a slightly sympathetic voice the woman responded, "Bruce, you know it hurts me to do this, don't you? But you did just kill my father, so I am afraid you will have to pay."

Batman coughed up blood, "I let him-augh die. I didn't kill him," he gasped in pain as he went on, "Why are you doing this? To win your father's affection?"

Talia sighed and shook her head, the blade still piercing through her enemy, "Once that was my goal. Now I wish to see the world burn. Those that are strong enough to survive it all will be shaped to my family's vision, and the weak will be forgotten in a distant past."

"A-augh-utopia justifies the means? That's really how you justify mass murder?" Batman responded condescendingly, disgusted by Talia's distorted view of the world they both lived in.

Talia shook her head and twisted her blade the slightest amount, blood seeping down the weapon and onto the ground, "Not any utopia. My utopia, where I reign supreme over all the mindless masses and control the intelligent."

Batman clenched his fists as she spoke about destroying not only his city but the world around it, "That day will not happen…Gotham will never reach that point…I told your father I would stop him and now I will have to stop you…" Bruce Wayne said the words, but he was not sure he knew how he was going to accomplish them with a blade impaling him.

The daughter of Ra's al Ghul shook her head, "No, no you won't. Did you think I would rely on any plan that utilized Crane so much?" She grinned darkly as she thought of Crane and his recent descent into madness. Something her father was not privy to, but something that pleased her greatly. Her sister had paid the price of investing her emotions in a psychopath.

Returning to the situation at hand, Talia continued, "I have my own scheme to level Gotham. And you stand in the way of me doing just that, Bruce," Talia continued now as if she were quoting someone, "And if someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them and stab them in the heart," Talia narrowed her eyes at Batman, "My father taught you that long ago, didn't he? If you could just stop this childish heroic nonsense we could be together at last," Talia raised her free arm so that it rested on the Dark Knight's shoulder and so that her hand could touch his cheek, "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

"Let me answer that for him."

Talia whipped her head towards the sound of another woman's voice, only for her to come face to face with an incoming whip, "Wha-"

Talia gasped as Catwoman's whip struck her across the face. Selina pulled her whip back and scowled at the woman who was stabbing Batman while Talia yelled in anger, "This is in-between me and him you lowlife thief! How dare you interrupt us," withdrawing the blade from Batman's back, Talia pointed it at Selina, "I'll-"

Catwoman snapped her whip at Talia again, Selina moving her feet around the unconscious Assassin guards Talia had forgotten about during her heart to grim scowl with Batman so that she could have better control, "Save it for someone who cares," twisting the whip as it flung at Talia, it danced around the blade of the terrorist and struck her across the body instead of being sliced in two, "You think that you are so romantic, whispering promises of passion and dedication into his ear while at the same time fighting against him?" Selina laughed as Talia stumbled back, "Believe me, he's used to that from me," Selina cracked the whip again, this time striking the woman across the face, "You take my badgirl act to a whole new level. I'm a cat-thief who dresses in a costume, but because I break the law I am always at ends with my favorite vigilante."

Glancing at the now kneeling Batman, Catwoman added, "Who I actually care for," she looked back at Talia who was not flat footed any more and now rushing at Catwoman, "You? You're a global terrorist who wants to sleep with a man because of his genes, and you think he would ever go for you?" Selina narrowly dodged Talia's quick stab with a side step and returned the favor with an elbow to the woman's face as she rushed on past her, "Stop deluding yourself and move on. If you want a smart man who is strong, try Bane. He could use some love in his special containment cell at Arkham."

Talia rubbed her abused cheek and growled, "Why you-!" shaking her head, Talia lunged at Catwoman again, "You do not understand our love!" Selina received a minor cut to the side from the blade but otherwise danced around it like this was a common routine, "A vile, petty woman who comes from the same underworld that needs to be destroyed cannot comprehend-"

Catwoman cut Talia off by cracking her whip and causing it to coil around her opponent's neck. As she choked Talia Selina spoke calmly but with anger creeping in at places, "I don't want to, that's the thing. I don't know what it is about you and wanting to sleep with a man to carry your tainted bloodline, but you make the rest of us women look bad," Selina punched Talia in the back of the spine to try and stop the woman's struggling, "Not only are you desperate, but you are acting like a princess damsel from the year eight hundred who wants to be married off to a noble prince. I would pity you if you were not a sociopathic monster bent on destroying all known society, starting with the city I live in."

Catwoman released Talia when she noticed that the woman was about to fall unconscious, and Selina was not finished yet. Talia gasped for air first but then spun around to stab Selina, but the cat thief who was utterly pissed at her opponent for stabbing the man she loved dodged it once again, "I know you have your fancy assassin training al Ghul, but you're as light as me," Catwoman nodded at the bleeding out Batman, who was beginning to lose consciousness, "Unlike him, you can't take a beating," Catwoman jumped back to add space between them before cracking her whip again, this time wrapping it around her opponent's blade, "And for the record, whip beats sword!" With that, Selina tugged the weapon from her opponent's hands.

Not to be finished just yet, Talia withdrew a gun from her clothing and pointed it at Catwoman, "And gun beats all!" right as she pulled the trigger an object collided with the gun and knocked it from her hands, causing the shot to go towards the sky. Talia turned towards where the object had been thrown, "What now?"

Weakly, Batman responded to her as he held a Batarang in his hand, "I don't condone killing. Not from any person for any reason."

Talia growled angrily at him, "How could you side with this twa-"

Selina cut Talia off once more by sending her whip around her opponent's neck, "I'm sorry, were we done fighting?"

Catwoman tugged on her whip, choking Talia more and more as she approached Ra's al Ghul's daughter. Releasing the woman again, this time after she had knelt down to the ground in pain, Catwoman listened to her yell out, "I concede! I concede…"

Selina nodded to her, but kicked the woman onto the ground nonetheless, "Good," at Catwoman's feet lay the gun Talia had tried using before on her. The thief picked the weapon up and leveled it at Talia, "Now, this is usually against my code but I'm making an exception for you."

Batman reached an arm out uselessly, not able to throw a Batarang due to the positions Selina and he were in, "Selina, don't-!"

Talia glared at her enemy in love and in battle, "You wouldn't dare."

Selina tilted her head, "Oh really?" a click of the gun's trigger later, Selina tossed the weapon to the ground that was now being soaked with blood other than Batman's, "You should ask Bane about my reaction to him harming my Bat."

The Dark Knight tried to stand, but only managed to do a partially hunched over version of it. He glared daggers at Catwoman, who had just broken his one rule, "I thought you don't kill."

Selina scowled back at him, not understanding what he was so worked up about, "We both know that she will be back next week. Those Lazarus Pits of theirs make death cheap. And for the record, you don't kill either, but you let her father die back there."

"I didn't kill him, but I didn't save him."

Catwoman rolled her eyes, "Semantics. You let old Ra's die in a situation you could have saved him from. You would save even the Joker in that same position. You know as well as I do that Ra's will just be brought back to life and try to carry out another crazy plan of destruction on Gotham, so you let him die."

The Dark Knight did not respond to this. Instead he turned and began to walk towards where the train had crashed. Selina called after him, "Hey, I was talking to you."

One hand on his wound, Batman coughed up more blood as he trekked towards the train, "I'm going to search for his body. I would prefer it if Ra's didn't come back, and securing his body might just make his death stick."

Selina grinned slyly and nodded towards Talia al Ghul, who's forehead had seen better days, "So can I make sure the same goes for her? I think some fire would do."

Batman was still peeved about the death that had just occurred, but he understood Selina's reasoning behind why it was okay. It was the same reason he was fine with letting Ra's al Ghul die. Still her glared back at Selina's mentioning of disposing with Talia's body, something that irked the cat thief, "Oh come on, she is a worldwide terrorist who literally stabbed you in the back moments ago!" Selina lowered her head and closed her eyes sadly, "One of these days that blade will cut a few inches higher. She will tear your actual heart out."

Batman turned back to the train wreck and limped on towards it silently. Still sullen over the thoughts of how Batman cared for Talia al Ghul, of how he was able to let her constantly nearly kill him and yet still care for her, Catwoman asked, "So, are you going to bring me in for murder?"

Batman stopped for a moment, "Murder is the killing of another human being, removing their life from the world. Talia may not be breathing, but she will be soon," he shrugged lightly, "It was a struggle of life and death anyways. Either of you could have died."

Catwoman's sad countenance was replaced with a slightly brighter one as she recognized the favor, "I'll take that as a 'thank you for saving my life, here is a get out of jail free card'," looking back at Talia, something felt off to Catwoman. She sniffed the air and realized a familiar smell, "Something smell odd to you?"

Batman inhaled through his nose too and began to think about what it could be, "That smell…fear gas! Cover your face!"

A sinister voice called out to the duo, "Too late Bat, too late Cat," Scarecrow emerged from a nearby alleyway and cackled at the two lawbreakers in their struggle to fight off his toxin, "Now, time to enter my world!"

Selina clenched her fist, "Crane, I'll-"

Scarecrow approached her and withdrew a flask from his costume, "What? Light me on fire again?" He chuckled as he opened the flask and poured the alcohol onto her, "You really need to," Crane pulled out a cigarette lighter now, intent on getting his revenge for the burns that marred his body from long ago, "Lighten up."

Right before Catwoman, in her hallucinogenic state, was set aflame a stream of ice formed a wall in-between her and Crane. The Scarecrow turned to face the firer of the ice and swore, "Damnit Freeze!"

"Tonight is the night of masked criminals it seems. Batman beats al Ghul, I beat al Ghul's men, Catwoman disposes of the daughter, and now you are here to finish off the Batman."

"Exactly! So don't get in my way! The man who stops you from reviving Nora will never bother you again!"

Freeze shook his head inside his clear helmet, "I am sorry Crane," he turned the gun towards the gawky super villain, "But you had to do with this plan to destroy Gotham, a plan that would have made me lose Nora."

Scarecrow growled angrily, not happy at the prospect of being put on ice literally, "I made the fear gas ages ago! Remember what you were helping me store in your own cell? That! I had nothing to do with the planning, nothing at all this time around! Johnny was still in charge when this planning must have gone down."

Victor looked on at Scarecrow through his red goggles, the eyewear concealing whatever emotion his face might have let out while his voice remained calm and controlled in a monotonic way, "Even if you were not a part of this plot's creation, you helped it along none-the-less. But I would spare a fellow rogue a trivial battle over that," Freeze frowned now and spoke in an angrier tone, "But you have hit me elsewhere. What did you do to that poor woman who poured her soul into you?"

"What does it matter? If you play with fire you are bound to be burned!" Scarecrow yelled, trying to repress a cackle as he thought of doctor Young.

"And if you stay your welcome with Winter too long, you are sure to get frostbite," Freeze responded coldly right before he shot a small stream of ice. Crane tried to dodge it, but part of it crashed into his side and knocked him off of his feet.

Freeze pointed his gun again now at the prone Scarecrow, "Don't even try fighting Crane. Your gas cannot effect me, your syringes cannot penetrate my armor and your light costume offers no resistance to the cold. Those alone would make it unwise to cross me, but" Freeze approached the burlap wearing man and looked down at him with contempt, "my suit's ability to increase my strength significantly makes angering me worse for you. You are going back to Arkham, whether you like it or not. I will not let you bring harm to doctor Young or anyone else a day longer."

* * *

><p><em>AN: If anyone is curious about Ra's al Ghul's boxing stance and fighting, Liam Neeson was a boxer when he was younger and I love Liam Neeson Ra's al Ghul._

_Why did Talia get curb stomped? She has training, she has some skill, but she has an awful habit of not paying mind to her surroundings (sound familiar to some?) when she is doing her heart to empty hearts with Batman...if you saw The Dark Knight Rises, you'll know the kind of thing I am talking about. She could have been shot in her extremely long talk with Batman, never once really checking her surroundings despite the combat situation she was in. So Catwoman used that to take out her guards silently, then enter into a fight where she was in complete dominance. The more Talia got hurt and angry, and the more she was suffocated, the less of a chance she had to fight on the level a Rogue is able to none-the-less Catwoman who kicked Prometheus's ass around the block even when the entire Justice League m(including Batman) could not. Kickass woman._

_Now, on another note._

_I will not lie. I have supported the relationship of Batman and Catwoman from the first time I ever saw Batman, Batman Returns, when I was three years old. Fourteen years later, I still am a strong advocate for the pairing. This may confuse some, but I don't support it because I liked it as a kid. I don't support it because I stubbornly can't move on. I support it because it is the only true and lasting relationship that makes sense for the Batman._

_And here is a supportive concurrent opinion by the psychologist Travis Langley in his book Batman and Psychology a dark and stormy knight._

_**"Does Batman feel closer to Selina or Talia? Consider the history of what he shares with them and when. He unmasks himself for Selina through one version of their history after another; Talia whips off his mask while he lies unconscious the first time they meet. He tells Selina his secret identity; Talia's father discovers it and tells her himself. The Golden Age Batman chooses to marry Catwoman, and together they raise a daughter. For the modern Batman, marrying Talia happens minus his consent. She and the League of Assassins raise Bruce's son for eight years before she reveals the boy's existance. Batman deliberately reveals his face, his name, his headquarters to Selina Kyle, Catwoman, no Talia al Ghul."**_

_So there, all Talia/Batman fans, I do not understand why you exist. Talia is Catwoman's traits taken to the extreme, with the ability to feel bad for her and her life taken out of that equation. Talia betrays Batman regularly, Catwoman only does so in non-lethal situations that will let her get away with loot. After all, the ending where Catwoman saved Batman in Arkham City is the CANON ending. Not the one where she betrays him, an ending that people still hold against her in my experience despite it being NON-CANON. _

_If you support Batman/Talia, you support altering Batman's character to that of a hypocrite. "No, I cannot be with you Catwoman because you break the law as much as I want to" has been policy for DECADES for him, and their relationship has been like this for longer than Talia has existed and a half. To support Talia means this "It's okay Talia, you can kill people and try to destroy civilization. I will still love you unconditionally and have feelings for you." and I do not like making Batman a complete idiot like that._

_I really do like saying people can support whatever pairing they like, but Talia/Batman is an affront to nature and an affront to the character of Batman that the comics have been trying to shovel down our throat for over a decade now. The character of Damien exists only to say that Bat/Talia is the official policy of DC comics, the character of Helena Kyle exists only to sideline Catwoman from the equation and keep her preoccupied so that Batman could not be with her, and the logic behind it all is unsound._

_Supporting Talia/Batman makes him out of character, and if you support a character being out of character on a regular basis then you do not like the character but rather you like what you wish they were._

_Long chapter, and long rant-ish thing! Sorry about that, but after reading that psychology book I had to bring that up and this was the chapter to do it with the direct Catwoman/Talia fight I had planned. But anyways, hey guys, just wanted to say that there are a THOUSAND of you! Seeing as I only hear from a small portion of you (.2 to .6 percent on average), I don't know what you all are thinking! Please leave some feedback on what you're thinking about the story, it will help everyone.I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts! It really will help me make this story 20% cooler!_

_**Button to make everything 20% cooler for everyone!**_

_**I**_

_**V**_


	81. Session 81: You Called?

_A/N: Sorry about dropping off the radar the past week or so. I have been busy and on college tours. Oh, and my laptop is in two seperate pieces, held lightly together by some thin wires. You can thank my mom's dog for that._

_This chapter is kind of short, at least compared to the last one. It's better than no update though, right? And besides, I have to get up early tomorrow for another college visit and the next Red vs Blue episode comes out in a couple minutes._

_Special thanks go out to DarknessinShadows, Ozwolf and Bashlei! Thank you for your great feedback, it really does help me a lot! This fic is definitely 20% or more cooler because of you all._

_If you readers haven't noticed, the timeline is jumping around a lot. This is on purpose. Instill a sense of chaos and whatnot befitting of a story about madness._

_If anyone here likes the Scarecrow from The Dark Knight trilogy, I suggest that you check out my one shot story "Still Here" that revolves around him after The Dark Knight Rises. Contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet I would suggest waiting to read it until after. Hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it. If enough support for it rises I might even make a sequel to it!_

_I also have released the side story prequel to this story, "Reflection", if anyone wants to go read it! You can find it by going to my page. Those who like Harvey Dent will be pleased to learn that he features heavily in it!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

* * *

><p>Ring.<p>

Boles grumbled as he took a swig from his alcohol flask, ignoring his cell phone.

Ring, ring.

He had been suspended for being drunk on duty during that breakout weeks before. He wouldn't have been found out if they hadn't found his flask completely drained and him completely wasted.

Ring.

Boles was not in the mood for some random caller to annoy him, but the ringing was hurting his hung-over head.

The security guard took his phone out and grumpily answered it, "Whattaya want?"

Over the device a deranged voice cackled, "Oh Bolesy, that's no way to talk to someone you owe a big favor, now is it?"

Boles shook his head and tried to straighten his scattered mind as he realized who the caller was, "My apologies. What is it that you want?"

"I need to speak to my dear Harley," Joker's voice said in a sappy manner. Boles knew better than to critique that though.

The corrupt guard nodded and began to leave his post to head to where Harleen Quinzel was held, "Sure thing. Give me a minute."

Boles entered the place where female prisoners were kept and approached Harley's cell. The blonde looked up at the guard with a confused look as he began to open her cell. Once it was open, he tossed his phone to her, "It's for you."

The deranged woman looked confusedly at the phone until a voice came out of it, "Harley? Is that you?"

Harley grabbed the phone and forced it next to her ear as she yelled gleefully, "Puddin'!"

"Harley my girl, Oh how it's good to hear your voice," he replied in a similarly sickeningly sweet manner.

The inmate of Arkham scrunched her face up and she rose an eyebrow as the greeting wore off and something bugged her, "Hey Puddin', I got a question for ya. Why's Johnny back here? He's saying you and Dent effed him up badly and he's being all broody. Weren't we trying to get him and doctah Young together?"

Joker cackled insanely, "Of course my dear! And for someone to date a Rogue like us, they have to _be_ like us. All it takes is for someone to have one bad day…"

Harley nodded but still didn't understand, "Yeah, I get that, you wanted to make doctah Young insane so she would be even more perfect for Johnny, but why drive him more nuts?"

Now the green haired monster replied in a matter-of-factly tone, "Because, Harley, our deranged Scarecrow no doubt gave Young that very bad day I just mentioned. She's on her way to being like one of us! And when she snaps, she'll have no reason to hide my formula from me."

Harley kissed the phone and Boles blanched at the sight of that, "You really got this all figured out puddin'! I should have never doubted you."

"Right you are Harley. Now, I need to talk to you about my plan for Arkham if I can't get Young to cough up the formula. Okay?" he asked condescendingly before he snapped, "Pay attention!"

"Sure thing!" Harley giggled.

Boles had the feeling he was going to have to alter the security tapes…again. And charge his phone.

* * *

><p>"Batman."<p>

"Dent."

Harvey Dent looked down at the bat signal that stood atop the roof he and Batman were on. The Gotham Police Department building. The criminal smiled as some good memories came up to drown away the bad ones he was plagued with, "You know, I remember when I would use this with Gordon to get you to come here. I didn't mind when you didn't show up. It meant you were busy busting some criminal and bringing the justice the corrupt police wouldn't."

Batman narrowed his eyes at Harvey Dent, not moving any other muscles because of the double barreled shotgun pointed at him, "Why are you here?"

Dent turned to face the Batman, a contemplative look on his face as he did so, "I've been thinking a lot the past few days. Just more nostalgia, to be honest. I have a hard time letting things go if you haven't noticed."

The Dark Knight scoffed, "Using I instead of we? You finally take your medicine?"

Harvery shook his head, "No…well yes, in the way that I have had quite a lot of beer. Did you know that I was friends with Jonathan Crane before he went loony awhile back? Some team we were. I would make sure we could convict them, he would make sure they would end up imprisoned in a mental institution where they would not be released back onto the streets like the dirty warden of Blackgate kept allowing at his jail."

"I don't have time for this Dent."

Two-Face looked straight at the Batman and spoke in a gruff manner, his finger on the trigger of his weapon, "You do if you don't want this to become an unnecessary bloodbath. Now, where was I? Oh yes, I was talking about good times with Jonathan. It was fun going out drinking with him. He may have hated Rachel, but that was fine. No-one gets along with everyone, and the reason he disliked her was because she treated him badly. She wasn't perfect. No-one is."

Harvey shook his head sadly, "That's over though. I killed Jonathan. Because of a fucking coin I lost one of the few people who managed to gain my trust. It's not like I had lost Bruce's or Gordon's before, no, I had to end that friendship as well," he pulled the coin out of his pocket quickly and held it up for the Batman to see, "Because of this damn coin."

"Have I ever told you the tale behind it?" Harvey tilted his head quizzing. The Dark Knight did not respond, so Dent decided to continue his recollection of past days, "Well it goes like this. My dad was a drunk, corrupt policeman. He would come home and flip this coin each night. Heads, he would beat me, tails and he would spare me the beating. But this coin was a double headed one. That was my childhood. I couldn't report him to anyone because of Gotham's corruption. It's why I grew up wanting to bring justice to Gotham through a different means than the police force, those bastards. Garbage like Ramirez and Bullock sickened me."

Harvey looked down at the coin sadly, "This coin means so much to me…it is who I am. One face flawless," he turned his head so that his unmarred side faced his enemy, "One face scarred horribly," he turned so that his burned side now faced Batman. After a silent moment Harvey turned directly towards the Dark Knight and showed the scarred side of the coin to the man, "Scarred side, I keep it," he flipped it around in his hand so the other side now was shown, "Flawless side, it's yours for good. One last chance of fate. The same odds Jonathan had. That Rachel had. That I had."

Batman watched as the coin was flipped into the air and fell back down into Harvey's hand. The criminal looked down at it with a large frown of sadness, "I'm sorry, but you won't be taking this tonight. Not yet," Dent sighed as he pocketed the coin, "You should add Jonathan Crane's murder to my list of ill deeds. His body is breathing, but the man I befriended is gone. I did to him what Joker did to me. I gave him that last little push to force one into madness."

Batman scowled, unsure if he was going to have to have Alfred pull shotgun shells out of him still, "Crane was disturbed, he would have broken eventually."

Harvey shook his head glumly, "No, I don't think he would have. You even trusted him on the streets. He was recovering quite well. Then he was kidnapped by some mercenary bastards. After a week of presumably torture I nearly killed him with a car accident. Some friend, huh?"

Harvey gave a brief sigh before continuing, "Look after doctor Young, Batman. She is in danger with Crane how he is. Believe me."

The Dark Knight nodded hesitantly, a gun still trained on him, "I will see what I can do."

His weapon still aimed at Batman, Harvey waved him off and shooed him, "Well then, go about your vigilante ways. I just wanted to get that all off my chest and had no-one else to talk to."

Batman approached the ledge of the police building and prepared to grapple away from it, but had something come to his mind before he did so. He turned his head and cowl back to face Two-Face, "Harvey, if you stop making excuses for yourself you might be able to become yourself again. Gotham's blood stained white knight, not the axe crazy Two-Face. You can redeem yourself if you work towards it. There are some, your old friend Bruce Wayne included, who would like to see that very much."

Harvey grinned as he remembered the good old days with Bruce Wayne. A good friend and a good man. Harvey sighed and bowed his head, "A way to end this pain…to own up for what I've done? I don't think I deserve that second chance."

"If you ever do want to take it, there are people who can help you."

With that, the Batman joined the night and left his former friend and current enemy alone on the rooftop of Gotham's police department.

* * *

><p><em>AN: You all remember when this was exclusively about Jonathan/Penelope? Yeah, so do I. They will be getting their focus in later chapters, but there are a lot of side character things that need to be taken care of by the time Arkham Asylum occurs. So you get our guest appearances until then._

_This not seem in canon with the last chapter? I told you that things will be jumping around. Don't worry. Things will straighten out. Eventually._

_Anyways, hey guys, just wanted to say that there are a THOUSAND of you! Seeing as I only hear from a small portion of you (.2 to .6 percent on average), I don't know what you all are thinking! Please leave some feedback on what you're thinking about the story, it will help everyone.I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts! It really will help me make this story 20% cooler!_

_**Button to make everything 20% cooler for everyone!**_

_**I**_

_**V**_


	82. Session 82: Step Back and Stand Down

_A/N: Well, being sick and almost unable to open my eyes while having a migraine is not a very easy thing to get past, but I managed to pull this together for you all over the past few days. I am 99% better as of this moment luckily, so yay for health!_

_**NEW COVER IMAGE BY LICORICEWOLF!** Thank you so much for all of the covers you made, which can be found on their Deviantart profile under the same name Licoricewolf in their scraps folder if anyone else wants to see them! They are all great and it would mean a lot to me if you all go check them out and support Licoricewolf!_

_Special thanks go out to DarknessinShadows, Ozwolf, ClockALock, and Bashlei! Thank you for your great feedback, it really does help me a lot! This fic is definitely 20% or more cooler because of you all._

_If you readers haven't noticed, the timeline is jumping around a lot. This is on purpose. Instill a sense of chaos and whatnot befitting of a story about madness._

_If anyone here likes the Scarecrow from The Dark Knight trilogy, I suggest that you check out my one shot story "Still Here" that revolves around him after The Dark Knight Rises. Contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet I would suggest waiting to read it until after. Hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it. If enough support for it rises I might even make a sequel to it!_

_I also have released the side story prequel to this story, "Reflection", if anyone wants to go read it! You can find it by going to my page. Those who like Harvey Dent will be pleased to learn that he features heavily in it!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

* * *

><p><em>Why did you have to be afraid Bruce?<em>

_Bruce, why couldn't you do anything?_

No…not this again!

_Why won't you bring us back?_

_You should have done something-_

No…

_Running around in a costume like some child? To think my son-_

_You couldn't save us and you can't save this city-_

"NO!"

Bruce Wayne shot up in his bed so that his body was perpendicular with the mattress. The dark haired man blinked and looked down at his hands as he realized that he had been dreaming.

Another dark haired man, who was sitting beside the bed with a medical kit at his side, leapt back a little at the sudden movement of his adopted father, "Bruce, you okay? You had me worried there with your screaming."

Bruce turned to face Dick Grayson briefly before catching sight of the bandages on his own body, particularly his abdomen. The bandages brought forth a flash of memories and the billionaire frowned as a question came to mind, "Crane, where is he?"

The first Robin sighed, sensing that his father figure was in his stern Batman mode. The mode that ruined their father-son relationship due to how controlling Bruce could be.

"After you were put under that fear gas snow miser showed up and took Crane out. Crane's back at Arkham, straightjacket and all."

Batman gripped his hand on his sheets as he continued to remember that night, "And Ra's? Talia?"

Nightwing sighed as he responded again, "We recovered Ra's al Ghul's body. It's been brought to Arkham and is under constant supervision. It has been put in a different area than the other corpses held there so as to prevent any of his lackeys from stealing it back. They won't know where it is. As for Talia, we don't know. Her body was missing by the time the kid and I picked you up."

Bruce tried to move and get up but instead wretched in pain as the wounds he had suffered came to haunt him. Dick Grayson sighed and shook his head, "Just take it easy Bruce. You need to rest. I know you try to be tough and all but you can't fight having a hole in your gut."

"And what of Catwoman?" Bruce coughed out, still in severe pain.

Nightwing shrugged, "We let her go for saving your life. Have to give her some props. She didn't take your mask off when she had the chance while you were unconscious."

Bruce rose an eyebrow, still not looking Dick in the eye, "How do you know that?"

The former Flying Grayson smirked, "She would have gotten shocked with quite a lot of electricity if she had tried, wouldn't she?"

Bruce scoffed back at him, "You forget that this is Catwoman. She can get into whatever she pleases."

"Odd that we don't see her around here more then," the first Robin chortled.

Now the billionaire bachelor of the duo found it in him to break out a small smile, lightening up a little as he thought of Selina Kyle more, "Bruce Wayne donates millions to charities and does its best to help those in need. She targets strong people who abuse their power. I'm safe for the time being."

"That's good to hear. Wouldn't want to become a secondary target of her in my civvies just because you don't do your civic duty!"

"So, what brought you to town?" Their last meeting hadn't been very…amicable.

Grayson frowned and sighed, "I was visiting Barbara when I heard that Tim was in trouble. Turns out he was free by the time I could get suited up and you were the one in need of help."

Bruce nodded and did little else, "I see."

Father and son sat in silence. Their bond had been shattered long before and neither really knew what to do about it.

* * *

><p>"Get your hands off of me!"<p>

Jim Gordon turned away from the small group of police he was giving orders to and towards the commotion he heard behind him. Loud footsteps could now be heard by the elderly police commissioner as his eyes caught sight of a hulking, metal figure. And from the outstretched metal hand of that figure was a dangling man covered in some kind of brown material, flailing as he tried to get free from the metal hand's grasp.

Gordon rose an eyebrow in confusion as he watched Mr. Freeze slowly trod towards him and hold out a struggling Scarecrow, "What is this?"

Standing next to Gordon with a half dozen other police officers was Sam Bradley who took to seeing Mr. Freeze a little differently than Gordon, "It's Mister Freeze! Take him down before he can-!"

Gordon held an arm out as his men all prepared to fire, "Stand down, all of you!" He looked at the Rogue who drew closer towards him with extreme wariness, "Fries, what is the meaning of this?"

Freeze stopped approaching them and held out Jonathan Crane high up for them all to see, "I brought a gift for you all," with the strength of his powered armor, Victor tossed the lanky man a good twenty feet over to them. The Scarecrow crashed into the ground painfully and groaned as he tried to get up. Freeze nodded towards the fallen criminal, "See to it that this cretin is brought to Arkham," the icy man turned his head towards another street, "The Batman is also in need of medical attention at this moment. You may wish to go help him."

Bradley clenched a fist, "Yeah, as soon as we haul you back as well-"

Gordon cut his subordinate off again before things he could deteriorate the situation, "Where is the Batman, Freeze?" As he did this he stomped a foot on Crane's back to pin his to the ground, causing the gangly man to yelp in pain.

Freeze turned back to the Commissioner, "He is right nearby the crashed train a half dozen blocks over. I am sure he will have some of his associates come and help him, but until then he will need someone to look after him."

The commissioner nodded and turned to his men, "Understood. Everyone head to the train crash. Surround but do not touch the Batman, you hear me?"

Sam scoffed and questioned his boss as the other cops all ran towards their cars in accordance to their orders, "Sir, are we just going to let Freeze go? What are you doing?"

Gordon looked down at Crane and frowned, remembering how distraught Crane had made that doctor from Arkham after he had been tipped back into insanity by some outside help, "Fries just gave us another super villain, and quite possibly the position of Batman who needs our help. Are we going to enter a long winded firefight to possibly capture Fries while quite possibly lose this city's greatest hero as a result? No. Fries can stay free for now if it means helping Batman," taking his foot off of Crane, Gordon leant down and yanked the man up by his neck, "Bradley, take Crane to Arkham."

As Gordon pushed the stunned Scarecrow towards him, Bradley tried arguing, "But-"

"I said take him to Arkham, that's an order Detective," Gordon responded firmly.

Bradley slapped a pair of hand cuffs on Crane and sighed, "Yes sir," the Detective looked at Crane and pushed him towards his own squad car, "Come on Crane. You're coming with me."

"When I get out of Arkham you had better watch yourself," Scarecrow responded in a sinister voice.

Bradley opened one of his car's doors and slammed the Scarecrow's face into it, knowing that the man could pose a threat conscious, "Yeah, not happening," Crane did not collapse or fall unconscious to the surprise of Bradley given the force of the blow, but something else caught Bradley off guard more so. A black object wrapping around Crane's throat was the more surprising thing, "Woah, what's that?"

"Oh shit!" Scarecrow yelped as he felt a whip tighten around his neck.

Bradley turned and pulled his pistol out at where the whip came from. A quick look revealed Catwoman, yet another Rogue on this blasted night for him to deal with, and so Bradley aimed him gun at her, "Ma'am, let go of Crane or I will fire!"

Selina slowly stalked towards Cranel, whip still around his throat and choking him, "This has nothing to do with you, so bug off."

The detective did not fire but he did keep his gun aimed at her, "I have been tasked with taking him to Arkham, so this does have to do with me!"

Catwoman groaned and rolled her eyes, "Fine, you can have him. Just give me a moment."

"I will count to five and you had better drop him," he responded gruffly.

Having reached her target, Selina gripped his neck with her metal claws and forced his head against the squad car, "Crane, stay in Arkham-"

"5-"

She forced his head harder into the car to emphasize her point, "-and I mean STAY-"

"4-"

Selina leant her face towards Crane's, "-and I will forget that you-"

"3-"

She gripped tighter and Jonathan grunted as a lack of air began to get to him, "-just tried to light me on fire-"

"2-"

Catwoman released Crane and tossed him to the ground, "-after gassing Batman and me."

"1," Sam finished as she threw Scarecrow onto the ground.

Catwoman stepped over Crane and began to walk away, Bradley still having his gun trained on her while completely unsure what the hell was going on, "Take him, tightwad. I'm done with him," Selina snapped her fingers and turned back to look down at Scarecrow, "Oh, forgot one thing," she narrowed her eyes into a glare, "Touch that woman again and you won't be having any kittens anytime soon. Scratch that, ever."

Crane scrambled into a kneeling position and spat at "Bitch…I think I know of a way to get you to lay off me. You don't know who Batman is, do you?"

Catwoman scoffed, "Oh, and you do?"

Scarecrow grinned, "Did you even hear his mumbling while he was on my gas just a few minutes ago? Haha, it's almost sad that no-one has figured it out!"

Selina continued on her way out of the area as Bradley turned to face Crane with a confused look, "I'm leaving Crane. Stay out of trouble and make sure I don't have a reason to pay you a visit."

The response was a mocking tone, "Aww, kitty not want to learn how her big bad Bat is just," she has disappeared into the night before Crane could finish his sentence, "some kid on the inside crying for mommy and daddy?"

Bradley ignored the escaping criminal and tilted his head at Scarecrow, "What are you going on about Crane?"

The Scarecrow spoke to himself, ignoring Bradley as he began to piece things together in his mind, "The Batman has all these gadgets, a high tech suit, vehicles, supplies and allies for a reason! No wonder the first Robin popped up around the time popped up at the same time as Dick Grayson's adoption…"

The detective dragged Crane onto his feet and pushed him towards the squad car again, "Crane, start making sense or I may just use excessive force."

"The Bat man is Bruce Wayne you idiot!" Scarecrow cackled madly. Luckily, they were on an empty street with no-one to overhear. All the other cops had left before Catwoman had shown up.

Bradley held a blank look on his face as he began to think about what Crane had just said. Beside him the madman kept cackling to himself, "Haha, wait until Nigma hears this! He'll never live it down that I found out first! I can't wait-"

One tossing into the car later, Scarecrow grunted, "What the fuck was that for?"

* * *

><p><em>AN: I actually keep forgetting to put Sam Bradley Junior in, so this was my solution to that. Watch out Batman!_

_This not seem in canon with the last chapter? I told you that things will be jumping around. Don't worry. Things will straighten out. Eventually._

_Anyways, hey guys, just wanted to say that there are a THOUSAND of you! Seeing as I only hear from a small portion of you (.2 to .6 percent on average), I don't know what you all are thinking! Please leave some feedback on what you're thinking about the story, it will help everyone.I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts! It really will help me make this story 20% cooler!_

_**Button to make everything 20% cooler for everyone!**_

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	83. Session 83: Deathstroke

_A/N: A special gift to you all, courteousy of yours truly to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of this story. I have decided that nothing overly special is in order...except the introduction of a character that will only get to do his part in the story if there are sequels. Otherwise, this chapter is basically useless. Yup, you read that right. So don't let this chapter go to waste and support the story! That is, if you want to of course. You don't have to, but it would be nice._

_**NEW COVER IMAGE BY LICORICEWOLF!**__ Thank you so much for all of the covers you made, which can be found on their Deviantart profile under the same name Licoricewolf in their scraps folder if anyone else wants to see them! They are all great and it would mean a lot to me if you all go check them out and support Licoricewolf!_

_Special thanks go out to DarknessinShadows, Black391, ClockALock, Narutofangirl1213 and Bashlei! Thank you for your great feedback, it really does help me a lot! This fic is definitely 20% or more cooler because of you all. You all deserve a round of applause, you really do._

_If you readers haven't noticed, the timeline is jumping around a lot. This is on purpose. Instill a sense of chaos and whatnot befitting of a story about madness._

_If anyone here likes the Scarecrow from The Dark Knight trilogy, I suggest that you check out my one shot story "Still Here" that revolves around him after The Dark Knight Rises. Contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet I would suggest waiting to read it until after. Hope you all enjoy it and will leave me your feedback on it. If enough support for it rises I might even make a sequel to it!_

_I also have released the side story prequel to this story, "Reflection", if anyone wants to go read it! You can find it by going to my page. Those who like Harvey Dent will be pleased to learn that he features heavily in it!_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and will leave whatever thoughts, comments, ideas or questions you have with me! Your feedback really does help me improve the story for everyone, so please don't feel shy and reach out and let me know your thoughts!**_

_Oh, and by the way, Teen Titans fans? I think you may like this one._

* * *

><p>There is an idea known as the conservation of ninjitsu. It says that if one skilled person or being attacks another skilled person or being, then there will be a decent fight between them. Furthermore, it goes on to say that if say 100 skilled entities fight against one skilled entity, the 100 will find it within themselves to lose their advantage and somehow become less than equal to the foe. This was something that could reasonably happen if a mob mentality took over and skill was tossed to the wind, but for the most part it found its place in movies and television where one lone hero or character would take on an army single handedly and win for some inexplicable reason when they should not be able to defeat those enemies in that quantity.<p>

Talia al Ghul clapped as the the last of her ninja assassin bodyguards retreated in a puff of smoke from the "intruder" that she had invited over. A tall man armed to the tooth with weapons and wearing an odd mask was not received well by her minions, who all saw him as a threat given what they had heard of the man. He could be a man of his word or a man without scruples. In it for the money or in it for some scheme of his own. So many tales and so many rumors about one man.

Talia had made sure not to tell them all that he was coming and also made sure not to interfere as he cut through them. She did tell them to take caution with their life since it would be too bothersome to replace them all, but otherwise she just watched until it was over.

The sandy haired al Ghul continued clapping as she looked across the room she was in at the mercenary who stood there, "Your reputation doesn't do you justice. No wonder that Robin boy fears you. I am quite impressed."

The one eye visible in the man's mask squinted as he sheathed his blade with one hand and drew his pistol out with the other, "Is that so? I take it that the reason I came here was not to cut down your minions."

Talia grinned at him, "Far from it. I wish to hire your services for a future contract."

"A future contract?" Now the mercenary was confused. He knew much about the al Ghuls and their dealings, their operations, but he didn't pretend to understand them. To him they seemed like wide eyed idealists who thought that by killing people they could save the entire world, and thus were destined to fail by default. And he didn't like dealing much with losers, not unless they had something to offer him.

She nodded back at him to answer his query, "The person in question is needed in the meantime, but that use is comic to an end. When that point is reached I wish for him to be taken care of...he has a habit of not dying when I want him to."

"Just one person? Easy," He waved his free hand in the air dismissively before scoffing, "What makes you think I'll even do the job?"

Talia narrowed her eyes at the concealing and nigh featureless orange and black mask on his face, "You ARE the mercenary Slade Wilson, are you not? The infamous Deathstroke the Terminator, killer of heroes?"

Slade put the free hand on his hip now, his gun ready to fire if anything were to pop up, "What of it?"

Talia shrugged nonchalantly, downplaying the information she was about to spill, "It is somewhat recent, but have you by chance heard of what happened to your son Grant Wilson?" Slade just stared back at her, no response emanating from him. Glad that he was not privy to the information she held, Talia continued on, "No? Well, what if I told you that this target was the one who killed your son in cold blood?"

Deathstroke looked down at the ground momentarily, his eyes giving the impression that they could stare for a thousand yards with their distant look. After he was done thinking the man looked back up at Talia and stated rather than asked in as neutral a voice as he could manage, "Who is it."

His new benefactor wagged a finger at him, "Patience. Like I said, I need him alive. I see that you intend to kill them, but do I have your word that it will be when I say so? Or do I have to pay you first?"

Slade shook his head no, "I don't need any pay for this job. By giving me the chance to kill whomever this is you will have bought my services and loyalty."

This was going just as well as Talia could hope, so she decided to see if she could improve it even more, "Now that you are interested, would you care for a related job?"

Slade motioned for her to go on and so she did so, "This target has one person close to him, a person I too would like to see dead and who would be easily slain. But I cannot have their death on my hands as much as it would sooth me to take their life personally. I want you to kill them on the same day that you kill the other target," Talia withdrew a flashdrive and tossed it across the room to the mercenary, who deftly caught it, "All of the information you will need is on there. Jonathan Crane and Penelope Young. Crane has no family you can kill that wouldn't be doing a favor for him while Penelope has no family to kill other than her adoption parents, but I have no care for them. Their information is included if you wish to have some more fun, but do not draw too much attention. I'll keep in contact with you in regards to the overall plan."

He turned to leave, but before moving any more he asked a simple question, "Brutally, ceremonially or efficiently?"

Talia put a finger on her chin and broke out a grin like the Cheshire cat, "Hmmm...could you kill them in a dramatic and brutal fashion that is still sure to kill them? Any recordings of it would be a bonus."

Slade nodded lightly and walked towards the exit, flashdrive held tightly in his hand, "Understood. Now, if I may, I would like to go get some practice. Taking out a grade A Gotham Rogue will require me to be in my top shape, which I am currently not in, given the issue known as age-"

Talia laughed as she came up with another idea, "Ever heard of a Lazarus Pit Mr. Wilson?"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry for the brief, brief chapter...I have had little will to write this week, I must admit. I lost a longtime friend this week, someone I've known since I was a toddler, and it just reminded me of the losses I faced in this same time last year...being disowned and then coming home to the news that a friend had been killed by a reckless driver was what I had to deal with last year. Ironically, last year that bolstered my willingness to write since it took my mind away from that sadness...but I guess being reminded of what it's like to never see a friend again has been a bit taxing on my will. So I am sorry that there have not been updates, but this is literally my best that I can muster._

_Anyone here play City of Heroes or Transformers Fall of Cybertron? I kind of need to take more time to relax these coming days and it would be nice to spend it with some of you nice folks._

_I really can't believe I started writing this story a year ago...so much has happened in that time. Fond memories, regrets...all I know is that I have more ahead of me and it's not the time to start reflecting. I still have 17 more chapters to go here as well as a side story for you all, and then we'll have to see how the sequels go. I am thinking that I will finish this story by November and that I will hopefully finish the first sequel by the next summer (sequel won't be as long as this one, but still long). It took 10 months (well, 12 if you count the 2 months I did not have a computer to write on) to get you all 83 chapters and 2 side stories, so maybe I can get you a 40-50 chapter story by next summer with that work ethic! Given how busy I will be with schoolwork this year I will need all of your support though...I like writing, but it will be a backburner kind of thing if people stop caring._

_Oh, and now I like Doctor Who. At least I like the 9th Doctor. Haven't seen anything else. I'm glad the series surprised me and that I liked it, but it won't have been the first after I joined the herd this summer. Have I mentioned I made a comic that got featured on Equestria Daily? That was really fun. Oh well, I am rambling now and the authors notes are officially longer than the normal chapter. Woops._

_**Review button to make everything 20% cooler for everyone!**_

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	84. Session 84: The Reason You Suck

_A/N: Well this took me a while but I hope you all enjoy it. A bit longer than some of the others in recent times, but nothing special. Just part 2 of the reason Talia sucks, continued from where Catwoman left off and picked up on by our dear Penelope! I like having her do stuff, especially since she played number 2 to Jonathan for so long. Time to grow her character a little (both in literature terms and in physical terms)!_

_For those wondering, Slade/Deathstroke will do absolutely nothing during this story! No, he's for later! Like why I introduced Maroni, why I referenced Plasmus, why I have been keeping certain Rogues free from the story (so they can be used more easily later)...so those who like Slade will have to stick around for awhile if they want his role to come to fruition!_

**_Special thanks go out to Black391, Bashlei, and DarnessinShadow for being three longtime and great reviewers/readers who have helped this story tremendously, and special thanks to the newer reviewer known as shadowsteed for their amazingly kind review which I am very grateful for!_**

_I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and that you all will leave me your thoughts on it! I wonder who will be reviewer number 250...compete for it! Haha, no need to though. Take your time reading and don't rush a review on the sake on being 250th. It's just a number. An awesome number that reminds me why this story has evolved and continued as much as it has, and a number that gives me hope that people will continue reading and continue supporting the story! I really do want to get to Slade...and Huntress...and Terry (Batman from Batman Beyond)...and actually get to the point where Talia is threatening (basically my compensation for this following chapter)...and so many things that I can't even begin to tell you all..._

_Anyways, enjoy!  
><em>

* * *

><p>"So, how are you <em>dear<em> sister?"

The plush and soft couch that once was Jonathan Crane's sleeping place now held the second daughter of Ra's al Ghul. She had her eyes closed and had been trying to relax when her half sister had arrived without her consent via an open window, "You know Talia, I have never invited you in here. Ever. And you still keep coming in here. Can you take the hint already?"

Talia put forth a face of fake hurt, "But I'm family. You can't turn away family, can you?"

Penelope sat up on her couch and looked straight at her sister, their eyes meeting from across the room, "Why yes I can, you damaged and pathetic excuse for a woman."

The original daughter of the Demon's head clenched a fist angrily and scoffed, "_Me_ damaged? Take a look in the mirror, wretch. I'm not the one with red, puffy eyes because my psychotic boyfriend raped me, am I?"

Her sister narrowed her eyes, eyes that had just finished crying before Talia's arrival, and responded in a cold manner, "No, you're not. But then again you have never had a lover to cry over, now have you?" The psychologist curled her lip into a smug grin as her sibling's face grew stoic, "I mean, let's be honest Talia, you lust after a crazy man who dresses up in a costume every night to fight crime _who doesn't love you_. Not enough to join you in your terrorist actions anyways."

Talia growled as she took a half step towards where her sister sat comfortably, "You don't know anything about my relationship with him."

While arguably being the brains of the sisters, Penelope did not at all feel intimidated by the approach of Talia and continued on, "No, you're quite wrong. Father was kind enough to fill me in on some details, and I can't believe he puts up with you, you filthy skank," her tone changed from just plain condescending to a more mocking kind, "Ever wonder why you've fallen from our father's graces? Not only has he found a daughter from a woman he loved, you have reached the end of your usefulness. You were a tool to him and you always were. He wanted to use you to create the best heir he could have, and you all too knowingly joined in on his attempt to use you as a broodmare."

Before Talia could retort and respond in any manner Penelope picked back up and continued her tirade, "How many times have you tried to seduce the Bat-man?" Penelope actually laughed as she thought about her sister's love life and how it was actually worse than her own in some ways, "You can argue that you love him, you can say you care about him, but I don't believe any of that. You're lying to yourself. You are a damaged woman who is really just a little girl starved of her father's attention, a girl who wants him to be proud and happy with her. So you do whatever he wants. You submit to his will and you lie to yourself about your intentions. Why do you want to be with Batman? Because you love him? No, father wants a grandchild to replace him one day, and you are a bit late on that note, so you have made it your primary objective in life to have the most skillful, intelligent and athletic man you can find screw your brains out."

"And I suppose giving him an heir sired from a criminal is all the more desirable? A child bound to be a psychopathic monster like its father?" Talia replied cuttingly, a snarl on her face.

Penelope shrugged lazily and stretched her arms out, completely relaxed despite the tension between her and her relative, "Nature versus nurture shouldn't exist, it should be nature _and_ nurture. Both play a part in the growth of a child. Not that you would know. I bet you haven't even studied children before. And forget about being a mother. You would probably dump whatever poor child you give birth to on some servant and have them be raised by your underlings," Penelope paused and gestured towards Talia in a mocking manner, "Tell me when I'm wrong, please, I would love to be corrected."

Having already had someone chew her out about her relationship with Batman, a chewing out partially lost by her because of how she was being killed during it, Talia was too busy thinking to respond to her sister. Penelope took the silence as an invitation to continue, "So you go after this dark knight, you relentlessly try and sway him to your side. Quite the idiot you are and anyone else who thinks you two could work out. If the Bat won't even date a thief who often times saves his life and works with the 'good guys', why would he ever go after you? What makes matters worse is that he _knows_ you want to have a kid with him, something he would never allow, and you _still_ continue your pursuits of him!"

Talia put a hand on top of where a human heart was located, "He loves me, it doesn't have to make sense."

Penelope scoffed, absentmindedly placing a hand on her flat stomach, "Well isn't that just all convenient. You thought me a fool for loving Jonathan, but you are the one who is truly deluded in your affections. And you know what? You were right about Jonathan, but only because every single thing I could imagine could go wrong did and his mind broke again," Penelope looked down and paused for the briefest of moments before looking back into her sister's eyes and going on, in a resolute tone "I don't blame him for that and I never will. And unlike your disillusioned 'love', I did actually care about him. Much more than any doctor should actually, but that's for ethics people to debate over."

The assassin of the two shook her head in a slow way as she lowered a hand to the sheath at her belt, "You are one unintelligent woman, _dear_ sister. I could kill you anytime I wished. Father is gone and might not be coming back this time. Accidents can happen, especially to a high value person such as his prized daughter…"

Penelope did not squirm at all and instead just gave her sister a smug look that stropped the woman's approach, "Yeah, about that, we're being watched right now by his servants. You make a move to touch me and you die," pointing to the window, Penelope revealed that across from the building a couple of Ra's al Ghul's assassins, not Talia's, stood silently with binoculars to inspect Penelope more closely. Talia retreated her hand from her belt and growled while Young gloated, "Did you really think I would talk down to you without some insurance? They are always watching me and always will be until father tells them otherwise. He is being stored in a morgue at Arkham right now and will be brought back in due time, and until then I am of even greater value to them as an insider."

Talia scoffed, "Daddy's little princess. It's a wonder you aren't one of us."

Now the psychologist gave a wry smile, "Like I said, nature _and_ nurture. I was raised well, but I admit many of my traits likely come from our father," looking down at herself, Penelope laughed briefly, "I personally wish I had a bit of his height though, but I can't fret much over that. All it really would have come in handy for was making kisses with Jonathan less difficult. A half foot difference was a bit annoying."

"I have half a mind to let him live for what he did to you-" as was becoming common for her, Talia was cut off by another.

"Let one of your three most hated people in this world live? Like that would ever happen, even after everything he's done. You want him, Selina Kyle and I dead, don't you?" Penelope asked, with the response being a slight nod, "Thought so. Now, I'll be the first to say this, I just about fulfilled one of your deepest desires. I didn't think there would be a way for me to continue living honestly. In a twisted bit of irony, this is what I'm living for," she placed a cold hand over her stomach and grew a larger smile, "You don't know that feeling though, and you likely never will. Putting someone else's life above your own, loving them unconditionally-"

Talia groaned loudly and turned towards the window she had come in from, "What is it about every witch I meet disrespecting me? I am Talia al Ghul, you half-blooded, insolent bitch! You will regret the disrespect you've shown me, mark my word."

Penelope laughed at her retreating sister, who had had enough of the ridicule she was receiving when in fact she had been there to give not receive it, "Is that so? From what I've heard, Selina Kyle is doing just fine right now and she _killed_ you. Are my words hurting you that badly, _dear _sister?"

Talia completely left and now Penelope was left alone. Well, as alone as she could be in her condition and situation. Penelope+1 and security watching her from nearby. The doctor sighed and looked down at her stomach, sort of wondering when it would start showing as she ran a hand over it, "I hope bitch doesn't run in the family. I guess I have some of it myself. And insanity...it's been awhile since I've read about genetics. You're not carrying daddy's nutso genes, are you?" she giggled as she lay back down, both arms now wrapping around her lower body while her eyes closed, "If anyone told me half a year ago I would be this sappy I would have laughed at them and called _them_ crazy. But no, I'm the one who is insane…guess _that_ does run in our nice little family."

Penelope sighed and felt a tear streak down her face. She felt worse than she ever had in her entire life with the knowledge that a child of her ilk might have the same mental illnesses found in her family due to Ra's al Ghul's exposure to too many Lazarus Pits, not to mention whatever it might gain from its father, "I'll still love you if you're not right in the head. It wouldn't be your fault. It's ours. Mommy and daddy. Even Grandpa."

She stopped speaking to herself briefly as she thought about her life and everything that had happened to her in the course of the past year. When many tears had fallen and she reached the present, the pregnant woman stopped sobbing and gave a little hiccup. Penelope opened her eyes as something that actually made her happy came to her mind, "One more day at Arkham and then it'll just be us. My resignation form is all done and I can leave this town. That way Joker can't hurt us," she sat up and looked down towards her stomach, her view blocked by her well endowed frame but she didn't care, "I hope you'll forgive your mother for all the mistakes she has made."

Penelope glanced at the remote nearby her and grabbed it. She knew that remotes would become her friend in the next few months as she began to gain some girth and had no-one with her to help her. She flipped through a couple channels after turning it on before stopping on a familiar show, a show done by the late Charles Shultz, "Oh, Peanuts are on," inspecting the cartoon show, Penelope recognized it and smiled, "I always liked this one. Lucy actually is nice to Charlie Brown for once…always liked her. Not only does she act as a psychologist for her friends, she reminds me of myself when I was younger…I should probably have been a bit nicer," now a bit melancholy, Penelope sighed and looked down towards the ground, "Maybe I would have friends now and not just sporadically visiting criminals."

Watching her favorite Peanuts character actually be kind to Charlie 'Blockhead' Brown made Penelope giggle as a thought came to mind, "Haha, I wonder what would happen if Lucy and Charlie Brown got together?"

Realizing that she just suggested that elementary school student characters hook up, Penelope felt slightly ashamed, "Wow, I really am pregnant. Since when did I ship cartoon characters? I mean, besides the ones from Jonathan and I's show."

Thinking of their cartoon made Penelope wrap her arms around the stuffed animal in her near vicinity that had been meant for her lover, "Jonathan…"

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><p><em>AN: I just had to read the epitome of a bittersweet novel for an English class...200+ pages in 1 day, since it was summer reading and I did it at the beginning of summer. Since I was being tested on it, I kind of had to read it all again...anyways, that bittersweetness is what inspired this chapter's tone. No other relations there._

_When speaking about where a human's heart is supposed to be, I phrased it as such so that I wouldn't be directly saying Talia has a heart. Because I don't think she really does, at least not the same kind of heart that normal people have (metaphorically speaking)._

_This chapter takes place right before the events of Arkham Asylum. We're not there yet though! More jumping around in regards to time will happen. We're like Timelords, for those Doctor Who fans out there._

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave me your feedback on it. Because your feedback helps improve this story, please consider leaving some! It means a better story for you, a better story for me and a better story for everyone else reading!_

_Review place to make this 20% cooler!_

I

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	85. Chapter 85

_A/N: AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, as Monty Python would say. You see, I felt bad about not updating so I thought I would treat you all to something a bit down the line to earn forgiveness. Just a sampling, but it's still something to keep your tastes satiated I hope. This is completely out of order with the main story, akin to the side stories I have been publishing (To Have a Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart, Reflections) but it was not long enough to merit a separate release like them._

_Special thanks go out to Bashlei, DarknessinShadows, Blacky391, LostSamurai, Ozwolf, and Sango1316 for the reviews and support! Thanks also to all the people who have favorited and watched this story, as well as review in the past. 15 more chapters are left, and I hope you all are as excited as I am._

_Oh, and did any of you know that in Earth-2 (a comic universe of DC) and the Birds of Prey TV series Huntress is the daughter of Catwoman and Batman? I mean, you won't be finding any Huntress here, but it's still something to keep in your head. I hope I am not as bad as AJ at this..._

_And has anyone seen Batman Beyond? Awesome series I might add. In it the new Batman is named Terry McGuinness and is in fact Bruce Wayne's son. Hint. Hint._

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><p>Wayne Manor was quiet, befitting of the time of day. Alfred had retired to bed already after being sent away from one of his masters at their steadfast insistence. It was late in the night after all.<p>

"Have they found that _bastard_ yet?"

Not so quiet was the "lady" of the manor, who had just had one of the worst days of her life. Anger and fear coursed through her veins and fueled her resentful tone.

The owner of the mansion placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to calm her, but underneath his calm demeanor was anger and fear similar to hers, "No. He escaped in the confusion. Dick and Barbara are looking into how it. Dick in particular has experience with that monster."

She brushed his hand off of her as she stalked towards the staircase, intent on getting to a specific room as fast as she could without leaving her slightly crippled husband behind, "How can that man even be fighting anymore? I remember the one time I ran into him he was an old man with a head of white hair!"

Bruce Wayne lifted a hand towards his wife as he tried to keep up to her, "Selina, we can't even be sure that it is the same Deathstroke as before. It may have been Slade Wilson's costume but remember, we both saw what happened to him."

The former Catwoman, now far past her prime just like her husband, continued up the steps quickly but with her eyes closed. She was thinking about how a man she had thought slain was now running around and causing harm to _her_ children, "What if someone used a Lazarus pit? It would explain why he can move like a twenty year old and how he is in fact alive."

Bruce staggered up the steps and called after her, the cane in his hand supporting him, "That is a possibility, but this is not something Ra's would have ordered. He is also not someone Ra's would waste a pit on," His wife was out of sight at this point, but voices echoed strongly off the walls of their home so he continued to call after her, "Listen, Selina, we'll find him. We should just be grateful that she's going to be fine."

"I can't believe we got this careless..." Selina whispered to no-one in particular as she reached the top of the stairs hastily. Despite it being a whisper it was caught by the bat like hearing of her husband.

Bruce rounded around the next flight of stairs and could see his wife standing defeated at the top, mulling over the day's event. He grunted in pain as he stepped onto the next stair, but suffered through the pain so he could speak up to her, "Selina, there were police everywhere and we were as protected as could be. This is no-one's fault but the intruder."

She sighed and began to walk at a brisk pace again towards the room her daughter was resting in, "I know...Please tell me that for once you are going to use Eddie to help out? He could use something to take his mind off what happened with those thugs."

By the time Bruce reached the top of the steps he decided that despite his own prejudices it would only hinder the progress of this investigation to not include Gotham's second best detective, and replied to his wife who was now down the hall and at the room, "If it will ease your mind, he can lend whatever help he is able to."

Selina did not respond however. She was caught up talking to the spitting image of a college aged Bruce Wayne who stood outside the door on his way out. She nodded to him and he started to go towards the staircase while his mother went inside the room.

As his son approached the former Dark Knight had one question come to mind. He stopped stumbling along with his cane so that he could rest before he opened his mouth to speak, "Terry-"

Terry smiled at his father when he reached him and then reached his arms around the broad man for a hug, "She's doing just fine. Little bro is in there keeping her company," Bruce returned the hug for a moment before they separated and Terry resumed talking, "It's getting late and I didn't want to keep her up all night, so I'm going back to my dorm."

Bruce nodded to him, "I take it you'll be wearing your mask tonight?"

The college student shrugged and gave a light chuckle, masking his emotions behind a veil of humor, "Batman can't let the almost assassination of Bruce Wayne's daughter go, can he?"

The owner of Wayne manor didn't respond to the humor, instead replying in a deadpan manner, "No, I suppose he can't. I'll see how I can help you from the Batcave after I have checked up on her."

Terry nodded back and ran down the steps two at a time, wanting to grab his batsuit as quickly as he could. He had a few people he was going to pay a "visit" to that night.

Bruce now hobbled over the the room his dear wife entered, and when he got there she was now exiting it. She nodded to him and then towards the open door. He squeezed her hand as he passed her and entered the room.

The room was not as extravagant as some of the others in the manor, but it didn't need to be. The person who lay in the bed and resided there could care less about having showy things there, preferring practical things like the woman she resembled greatly. With a dark head of hair and a lithe body she was as similar to her mom as Terry was to their father. What Bruce noticed the moment he entered the room though was not her appearance but rather the recently changed bandages wrapped around her abdomen. Unfazed by her wounds, she smiled at her father and greeted him, "Hey dad."

Bruce walked across the room and took a seat next to her bed, noticing a figure resting on the other side of her bed that made him grin, "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, as if she didn't care about what had happened, "Okay I guess. I liked seeing Terry. He doesn't visit much now that he goes to college."

"I know. Maybe we should see about inviting him over more?" Bruce said cheerily. He had to admit that she was right about how often Terry visited...as Terry that is. He was there almost every night, but usually with a mask on and only visited the Batcave beneath them. She didn't know that though.

"That would be nice," she replied with a sigh, saying nothing more as she stroked the head of her slightly younger brother next to her as he slept peacefully.

Bruce nodded to the youngest one of the family, "I hear that he's been keeping you company. I am sorry I haven't been able to be around. There is so much news revolving around this and it's just been one big headache, the worst part of it being that I haven't been able to check up on you."

She smiled and shrugged again, "It's okay. It's been nice being alone today," glancing at the only sibling not to look like one parent or the other, she sighed, "Well, as alone as this moron will let me be."

The former Dark Knight of Gotham gave a laugh full of mirth, "Hey, he cares about you just like we all do," she rolled her eyes and pointed to the arms wrapped around her, causing her father to laugh again, "Okay, maybe a little more."

The teenage girl tilted her head as she turned it to face her dad, "Is Grandpa going to come by?"

Voice now neutral, Bruce sighed before speaking, "Yes, yes he is. He has had some business of his own to take care of though, so your mother said he would be here first thing in the morning," his eyes fell to her bandages, "So, does it hurt?"

She groaned and covered them with one arm, the other still soothing her fearful sibling, "I'm getting a bit sick of being treated like an invalid. It's just a scratch."

"That caused you to pass out from blood loss," her father replied bluntly.

The girl scoffed, "Whatever. I've had worse," nodding to her company on the bed, she added, "So has he."

Bruce massaged his temples in an exasperated but humorous manner, "You are as difficult as your mother. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it makes me wonder about my sanity."

His daughter chuckled, "At least you aren't one of those crazies who dresses up like it is Halloween, right dad? What were their names? There was mom of course, Catwoman, then the clown Joker, Scarecrow...and yeah, Uncle Eddie was one too!" she paused after the mentioning of the Riddler, "Uncle Eddie...how is he doing?"

"I think he is doing as well as can be expected. We're not exactly the best of friends, so I do not know fully," Bruce responded with a hint of sadness. No-one had gotten over what had just happened, and he had to give the kids credit for how well they were holding up.

The girl looked down sadly, "He's got it worse than me...my cut is only skin deep. But then again-"

She paused and let silence reign in the room for a moment before continuing, "Listen, I want to go to bed."

Her father nodded to her and began to speak, "If you need anything-"

She cut him off with a finger pointed at him, "I am not an invalid, dad," she reached out and took one of his hands, giving it a loving squeeze, "Thank you though."

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><p><em>AN: Tadaa! The future folks. Already shown in my first side story, Bat/Cat will happen along the road. Not until after Arkham City of course, but it will happen._

_Now, I wanted to point this out here. For multiple reasons my uploads will be slower than they previously have been. On the first level, I need the game to write the game related portions and I do not have a TV to play the game at my school, my XBOX for the game, or the game itself. I am working on that but it will take some time and chapters 90-99 need that to be a thing before they can be written, so I am intentionally stunting the rate of my writing. Second, I have a lot of schoolwork and am getting ready to apply to colleges so I am extremely busy, so I don't have much time to write anyways. Thirdly, I admit that I am winding down on this story...15 more chapters and it will be done! Of course I have the many future installments to add on to it, but the first chunk will be complete. After I finish this part I will be taking a break until the beginning of next year most likely, or winter holiday time at the least, so that I can focus on both my schoolwork and other stories. Then I will be back with the continuation that covers Arkham City related events (but is not a playthrough of the game), so I hope you'll all be able to wait for that._

_I am sorry about how everything has slowed down, but I would like to thank everyone for their support that they've shown! You all have helped me take this from a quick writing exercise to a complete story, and I am very grateful for that. As ever, any feedback anyone can leave would be greatly appreciated as it will help me make this a better story for you, your fellow readers and even me! I hope to hear from you all, and this time I will be sure to get back to you all (about to respond to the last set of reviewers once I finish this)!_


	86. Session 86: Rorschach

_A/N: Okay, not going to lie, I have been very lazy the past two weeks. Short chapter awaits you. I have been working very hard on school and my college applications, but have actually found quite a lot of free time. What have I been doing with that? Reading. A lot of reading. Some of it was for this though, this specific chapter. How many of you know Watchmen? Well, as people were curious about DOZENS of chapters ago the character "Inkblot" is from Watchmen. People who know about Watchmen should know who it is._

_I highly suggest reading the beginning of Watchmen the graphic novel before this chapter. Highly, as in it will make 10020% more sense that way. You can find it on the site scribd, but sadly I cannot link it for you. Hope you enjoy it and read more than just the beginning!_

_**Special thanks go out to Black391 and Bashlei for being three longtime and great reviewers/readers who have helped this story tremendously!**_

_I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and that you all will leave me your thoughts on it! Bit of a change from everything else (even considering the LAST chapter) but it will make sense eventually. Promise.  
><em>

_Anyways, enjoy!_

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><p>Rorschach's Journal<p>

Time 9:37  
>Date 2?/?

Lost track of the date. Solitary blends together after hours. Being released from that pit was irritating, with bumbling guards talking about their alcohol and their payoffs. Boles working for Joker? Must investigate further before gets out of hand. Clown has been quiet recently, no new heists. Must be planning something, even though he says he doesn't make plans. Completely insane, no capability for logical thought. Makes plans and methods dangerous.

Heard from Drury Walker (Codename: Killer Moth) that a 'rogue' was caught and brought back after having been released legitimately weeks ago. Unconscious in his cell, he is safe for the time being. I know why he's back. Everyone should have seen it coming. No matter how much sanity he regained, he was still insane. Valiant effort of his part to recover, however it was not enough. Possibility in regaining his softer side? Unlikely, but possible. Only break one bone before trying to appeal to better nature.

Inmates still call me Inkblot because of my face. They are close enough, because they know my true face. They know fear after the frying oil incident. Checked up on inmate. He died from injuries sustained due to unfortunate facial scalding. Was worth the week in solitary, for it taught them the fear I need to prey upon. Also made them start serving better food, slop from before being worse than canned beans after being left opened for a day. Self defense landed me in solitary, warden believing it would protect me. I don't need protection. They are locked in with me, not the other way around.

Odd being only vigilante in walls. Was different when morally dubious characters were around like that whorish cat person. Should have associated with her and made a break out? No, would have meant working with psychopath scum like Dent. So what if you lost your fiance and half your face? Should make you fight harder against crime, more harshly. Heroes weak as him are bound to fall. Or quit, like Night Owl. Should send him letter if he is at old address. Was...only friend. Was.

Look into partnership with Dark Knight of this city? No, he passes us off as crazy like others. Fight crime from within these walls until better situation pos (line cuts off).

Walker has arrived. Says he found an old contraption of his for fighting. Will investigate this.

Miss old hat. Used for during all detective work. Feels odd without it, almost as bad as when they take my face away.

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><p>Time 18:23<p>

Date 2/?/?

Currently in solitary once more. They say it'll be a month this time, Warden's orders. Sharp is a fool and this asylum will pay for it soon.

Found clues about Joker's intent. Studies inside Arkham are related to the criminal known as Bane, supergenius below Ozymandias but par with Einstein with muscles enhanced by super steroids. Project led by Doctor Young, doctor who was misled by Crane's apparent recovery and has paid for it. Besides those concerning Crane, she has broken extreme ethics codes for the sake of her secret steroid formula and should be put in Blackgate when rebuilt. Selfish woman, but pitiable. Visits from one Henri Ducard points to her being close relative of Ra's al Ghul, who now resides here in Arkham within a body bag. Seeing how other al Ghul ended up, this one is a saint in comparison. Still criminal though.

Joker was major funder of steroid formula. Upon learning this, Young canceled project to protect innocent lives as well as own. Good but stupid move. Joker will be coming soon to get it, finished or not, and he won't be happy with her. Woman should stop putting herself through so much grief and quit and leave. Would do unborn child she has not informed anyone of some good. Keep an eye on her for its sake? Look into matter more.

Drury was released for his long time good behavior, or rather they figured that telling people about how much he would like to have a family isn't insane. Was leaving me a keepsake earlier. Might come in handy in a future breakout, if that is what I decide to do one day. Strings up opponents. Reminds me of my old gas powered grappling gun. Forgot to retrieve it from that police officer's stomach.

Decided to wait for Joker and thwart mad clown's plan upon inevitable return. Until then I will stop Crane from doing anything severe until his mental instability calms down and reaches the levels it was at upon my first arrival here. Young does not need more strife despite deserving hand cuffs. Maybe I have gone soft after six decades of fighting, physically and mentally.

Joker's plot won't be funny. Comedian would be ashamed of how unfunny it will be. (line is blurred slightly)

Running out of ink. Forgot extra pen in guard's eye. Will report back upon first possible moment.

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><p><em>AN: Sorry for the delays and brevity...still haven't gotten my hands on my game, my xbox or my tv yet. Will have them in 2 weeks, so I will finish 2 or 3 chapters during that time. Apologies again._

_Again with the timeline jumping! I apologize, but more jumping around in regards to time will happen. We're like Timelords, for those Doctor Who fans out there. As for not-Doctor Who fans...we;re like timelords, look it up.  
><em>

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave me your feedback on it. Because your feedback helps improve this story, please consider leaving some! It means a better story for you, a better story for me and a better story for everyone else reading!_

_Review place to make this 20% cooler!_

_I_

_V_


	87. Arkham Asylum's End

_A/N: I apologize for the extreme lateness of this. More details after the new chapter, okay? Enjoy, and as always, your feedback and reviews can really help me so please leave them!_

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><p>Things were going slowly. Very slowly. Things just were not fun anymore.<p>

"Winner winner chicken dinner. Woohoo."

The police department had broken down Edward Nigma's door and arrested him for his various crimes, but they didn't have much to do with him after that...the Riddler had been arrested before the night had ended, before Joker's...dramatic recapture within the walls of Arkham, and as such he had already freed himself. The cops were all focusing on securing Arkham, Blackgate had been burned down prior, and there were very few cops left to look after Nigma.

Still, even though he had freed himself from the grips of Gordon's incompetent bumblers, Nigma could not enjoy his freedom. For starters, he had once again been bested by that insufferable Batman at one of his own games and as usual he wasn't taking it well.

Instead of his normal ranting and raving, to make himself feel the slightest bit better Riddler had even gone to an underground casino run by one of the mobs so that he could use his mind and gain something from the encounter. Card counting was a simple task for him after all, but even this demonstration of his intelligence wasn't really doing it for him.

Besides him sat a poor, compulsive gambler who was stunned to see the cash Nigma was raking in. What stunned the gambler more, however, was how Nigma's face could show complete boredom and apathy as he did it though, "Woah man, never seen someone look so...bored after cleaning house. What the heck is wrong with you?"

Second, Riddler's partner in crime Two-Face had gone completely off the deep end and now resides in a hospital. His drunken rage did not work well against the Dark Knight, and unlike Nigma he actually was under custody. Broken bones tended to make escape difficult.

Responding to the poor sap he was sitting next to, Nigma waved a hand nonchalantly, "Nothing's wrong with me. Nothing at all. Just leave me be."

And for a third point, Joker's insane plan probably just destroyed the livelihood of the Gotham Rogues. He destroyed Arkham with his lunacy, which in turn meant that there would be plans to make a new way of containing criminals...that could only spell trouble.

"Sorry, but that won't be happening anytime soon, Nigma."

This voice came from a different source, that source being a middle aged man with graying hair, nice suit, and cane.

Salvatore Maroni didn't like it when people cheated him of his money.

Even downtrodden, Edward Nigma knew the voice of people who may wish to hurt him, or at least the tone they used, "Maroni? You're here?"

The mob boss sighed and shook his head, two of his bodyguards behind him approaching the seated Nigma, "It _IS_ my joint, Nigma, and we don't take kindly to card counters."

Nigma, partially drunk and mainly depressed, scoffed and turned from the mob boss back to his cards on the table, his face "Then make it harder to count. Try a hundred decks."

Salvatore reached a hand onto the green suited man's shoulder and let out an amused sigh this time, "You know, there was a time when I would have wiped that smug look off your face, but I've grown as a person and can think of other ways of dealing with you."

The Riddler did not give up opportunities of mocking other people and this was one such time, "Wow, that was cheesy. What, you start seeing a shrink? I know a good one if you haven't. She lives next door to me. Might not make for the best company though, given that the naive idiot couldn't tell that her patient had mentally snapped and ended up-" one of the two large men who stood behind Maroni stepped forward and smacked Riddler, "What the hell was that for!?"

The bodyguard, the rotund man aptly nicknamed Jelly, shrugged and spoke in a somewhat innocent and somewhat dimwitted manner, "I thought it would shut you up, but I suppose I was wrong."

Maroni chuckled briefly, "Jelly, lay off him. Now, 'Riddler', you were saying? Sounds like you know my good friend Doctor Young."

Riddler blinked, caught off guard by their common acquaintance, "Woah...wait a minute, since when did you know Pen? Thinking about it, who doesn't that idiotic woman know at this point? Next thing you know she'll be talking with Bruce Wayne and-" Jelly sent a slap Riddler's way, but the green suited man had wised up and dodged it, "Hey, watch it!"

Jelly turned to his employer, "I think that's a yes, boss."

Maroni nodded to the back of the room, "Jelly, escort Mr. Nigma to the backroom. He and I are gonna have a nice chat. Both about our friend and about how much he is going to owe this here establishment."

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><p>Within the decayed and broken walls of Arkham there was much cleanup to do. Much. It didn't help that many inmates were still loose on the grounds and stirring up trouble, some even having slipped out and escaped during all the confusion.<p>

"So, how many people bit it here tonight?"

There were cops posted throughout the many wrecked hallways, corridors and rooms of Arkham, many of whom had been through this kind of ordeal before. Joker holds hostages and spreads chaos, Batman stops him, people die, Joker gets locked up, rinse and repeat.

But this time was different for it wasn't one or two poor people who died. It was the majority of Arkham's staff.

One of the first places guards were posted to was the Warden's office, and the two armed guards there were pacing around as they waited for their colleagues to clean up the rest of the run down asylum. One of them replied to his compatriot as he continued to look around the room, bored out of his mind, "I heard Gordon say something about a hundred. Mostly the staff. That Batman didn't kill any of the inmates sadly, not even Joker."

"Well that's his thing, moron. He doesn't kill them even when it would do the world some good," the other replied.

The first one chuckled as something he heard from an inmate came to his mind, "I heard that Scarecrow freak got gobbled up by Killer Croc though! One less costumed freak running around, right?"

Deciding to address the pink elephant in the room, one of the two police officers nodded to the charred corpse on the other end of the room. The corpse of some lady who appeared to be a doctor given her lab coat and the remains of her name tag, "So, what should we do with the lady's body?"

The other shrugged lazily, "Leave it. She isn't going anywhere."

The charred remains of a P-elo-e Yo-g was to stay there the rest of the night.

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><p><em>AN: Okay, long time no see, right? I must heavily apologize for my extended absence. I meant to update during my November break by playing through the game and novelizing it...turns out that I was not able to play the game, so that plan failed. Then I spent 3 straight weeks of working up to 20 straight hours to prepare for finals. After that, I went on vacation completely burnt out, so it took me time to recover. Here I am though now, and I've come to a decision. It would be too hard to write the 10 chapters based on the game I had planned, so instead I am skipping to after the events of the game and showing the events I always was going to use to finish up this story. One day in the future I intend to write those ten other chapters, and I'll release them one day as "lost chapters" so to speak, but I cannot handle that now with schoolwork and college applications to handle._

_So, there are 3 chapters left after this. Kind of feels odd that this long thing is coming to an end soon. I hope people still want a sequel, because I know I do but I know that without support such a thing will not get off the ground with all the other things going on in my life._

_I hope you all are doing well and had some nice holidays, and if you would be so kind to show some holiday spirit by leaving a review that would be very much appreciated! They really do help me improve, be it my morale or my skills as the case may be, so please don't be shy._


	88. A Family Specialty

**_A/N: Special thanks to 15animefreak15, Sango1316, Bashlei, Black391, and DarknessinShadows for their reviews and support on the last chapter, it really did help me finish this next chapter even if a bit late. Their continued support really has helped and is much appreciated!_**

**_Now, onto the third last chapter...enjoy. If you can._**

**_All reviews, comments, thoughts, ideas, suggestions, questions and related posts are very welcome, so please leave them! They help bolster both my skills and my morale, so it really helps the story out!_**

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><p>There were things that were shocking to some that others would shrug off as completely normal. Things like the death of a human being could shock and even horrify one human being while completely unaffecting a more desensitized one, most often through exposure and repeated experience with such an event. It was the almost exclusive case that one were to become desensitized to their <em>own<em>death, impending or otherwise, however, most likely because you were only given one chance in life.

That is, unless your name ended in al Ghul.

Rising out of one of his various Lazarus Pits, Ra's al Ghul stood up and brought a hand to his throbbing head. The Lazarus Pit had various side effects, often varying from person to person, but the ones Ra's experienced on occasion were insanely fast glimpses of the future, the past, and most importantly, the present. It was through this accidental precognition that Ra's al Ghul rose from his rejuvenation pit with a feeling that something was wrong. Very wrong.

A quick glance around made the criminal mastermind's stomach drop. He was supposed to have been brought back to life by Penelope, or at least have her present. She was not there by the pit's side, no, Penelope was nowhere to be seen. In her place stood Talia and her personal guards, but the favored daughter still remained missing from view.

Ra's took no time to settle in, quickly questioning his present daughter about the missing one, "Where is Penelope? I thought she was the one who was going to recover my body?"

Talia scowled, partially irked by his concern for her 'witch' of a sister, and partially concerned about how she should broach what had happened to her father. It was not easy to say that his favorite daughter had died in a brutal fashion, "Father, that...didn't happen. She foolishly tried stopping Joker from obtaining her research, and he killed her for it. Your men recovered your body around the same time, but there was nothing they could do because of the Batman's presence."

Ra's stared at Talia, speaking plainly with restrained anger, "Then get her body."

"It's at Arkham, where there are dozens of police-" Talia began to object before her father grabbed her by the collar, speaking in a harsh and angry tone.

"Get. Her. Body. Now."

Talia swallowed her breath nervously, not wishing to abide his will this once and also not wishing to incur his wrath simultaneously, "Father, there is no way-"

Now Ra's tone turned into a full shout, his normally calm demeanor replaced with that of a person who had just been informed that his daughter was dead and that his other daughter was not willing to help bring her back to life, "If you can slip into Arkham's highest security cell block to harass Crane, then why can't you slip past a few overweight guards and bring your sister back?!"

Not seeing a way out of this or a way to combat his logic, Talia relented, "Fine...as you command, father."

Ra's wordlessly released Talia, his daughter taking a quick step back to give herself distance from him. Turning to leave, her mind recalled another tidbit of information that she thought might appease her father on some level.

"Oh, and so you know, Crane was torn apart by that monster Killer Croc. We will have to adjust our plans accordingly."

Ra's nodded, speaking emotionlessly, "I see. Now, hurry back Talia, or I will be more cross than you've ever seen."

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><p>Less accustomed to being brought back to life was Penelope Young, or rather Penelope al Ghul. As she rose from the liquids of the Lazarus Pit she collapsed down on the ground, coughing out the liquid that had entered her mouth. She was completely dazed and off balance, but Ra's was standing nearby to help her up.<p>

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

Penelope placed a hand on her throbbing head, speaking sluggishly, "Huh? Wh-what?"

Ra's smiled at her, glad that he had been able to bring her back, "I almost forgot what it was like to be brought back for the first time. How do you feel?"

Now that her brain was beginning to turn back on, Penelope took in the dark and ancient setting she was now in, "Brought back? Where am I?"

Ra's helped steady his wobbling daughter, still smiling brightly at her, "You are in one of my many facilities. More specifically, you are beside a Lazarus pit."

Penelope blinked confusedly as her mind started piecing things together, "Wait a minute, I was in Arkham, how did I get here?"

This caused the smile on her father's face to leave, the criminal mastermind responding in a disgruntled tone, "You were killed by one of Joker's bombs, Penelope. You died. But, as is my specialty, you now can breathe again."

Young nodded, releasing herself from her father's embrace and stepping a few feet away, her gaze facing down at the Lazarus pit, "I...see. I'm sorry father, but I need a moment to think."

Ra's nodded wordlessly, having an idea as to what Penelope was thinking. The subject he was guessing was running through her mind was not one he wished to interrupt or be insensitive about.

Gazing into her reflection in the Lazarus pit, Penelope began to think back to recent events. Of the night Joker returned to Arkham...the night she had apparently died...to the time when Jonathan left...to the time when she was able to lay down next to her former patient and just enjoy being around him. It all felt like a lifetime ago to her, and in a way Penelope could see it as really having been an entire lifetime ago. She felt...odd. Like something unnatural was afflicting her. The mere fact that she was alive after she opened a safe with an explosive in it felt odd, that she was cheating death...but she wasn't the only one, and that worried Penelope.

A tear dripped down her face and collided into the Lazarus pit below. Had she, in her arrogance and false sense of security, not died alone?

"Father, I was...I..."

Ra's placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, unsure about what exactly to say, "I cannot answer that. I have called in a doctor for you," Penelope nodded silently, still looking down at the Lazarus pit. Feeling that she was feeling distress, Ra's spoke again, "Listen, there are very few people who have been subjected to the radiation from a Lazarus Pit and _none_of them have been below the age of twenty, none-the-less unborn. I don't know it's condition, nor if it is even alive."

"I see..." Penelope leant her head towards her much taller father and closed her eyes, trying to stem more tears from welling up, "Dad?" she asked pleadingly.

"Yes Penelope?"

"Do you...mind that it's Jonathan's child?"

Ra's frowned, simultaneously wrapping his arms around Penelope, "My only regret is that because of my machinations that you were hurt and that you lost someone that you love."

"I love you father."

"I love you too, Penelope."

* * *

><p>Arkham's harbors were usually solely populated by the various Mob families within the city, usually concerning their various shipments, and the early morning hours following the destruction of Arkham Asylum were no different.<p>

Except, maybe, one lone straggler who was fighting to climb on top of a dock. At a height of six feet and a normal weight of one hundred and forty pounds, this lean figure was not noticed by the various mobsters in the area as it slowly and painfully crawled up. One arm was doing all the lifting, the other grasped around the middle of its abdomen for two reasons: it had something clutched against it and it also was bleeding profusely from the same area.

"Pen..."

Completely naked from the waist up, the Scarecrow coughed up blood as he finished securing himself over the edge of the pier. Once on top of it he tried to continue moving, moving and living on sheer willpower. Willpower that only endured because of the strong emotion felt by the normally cold man.

"_I am going...to kill Young..." he spits out in a low voice, weak from his condition. His abdomen was not the only part of him bleeding, but all the parts that were had actually been healing at an accelerated rate so he was able to still function._

Not about to let himself get away with that remark, Jonathan replied to his darker half, "No you aren't, we both know it..."

"_Shut up, you don't know me!" his 'Scarecrow' aspect coughed, spitting more blood on the ground before them as the crawled painfully._

Jonathan grunted in pain, unable to let out the scream he wanted to out of extreme exhaustion and pain, "Don't yell...we're bleeding enough as it is, I don't want to feel more pain."

_Scarecrow piped back up, "So, this is how it ends? I never thought Croc would be the one to do it...I always thought it would be an accident by the Batman, or that bitch Talia."_

Jonathan collapsed down on the ground, his hand still grasping onto the object he had found at sea by some miracle, "We've only gotten this far because of Penelope's refined Titan formula...I am glad we helped improve it now. This would hurt a whole lot more otherwise..."

"_We wouldn't be in this mess if you had let me toy with the Bat more instead of checking up on that witch, Young!" Scarecrow retorted, indignant at how the night had gone. They had never ended up this badly in all the encounters with Rogues or the Bat, and now they were dying. Dying fast._

"Shut...the hell...up. You...you ruined everything you monster. I was finally happy, and you..."

"_Stop blaming me you coward! If you haven't forgotten, I AM you! So shut up and take some responsibility! Maybe if you had managed to suck up the pain you went through when you were younger we wouldn't be in this situation! If you had never broke mentally none of this would have happened! You could have become a top tier psychologist who was widely accepted for his brilliance, but no, you had to go insane, kill people, and now screw up your own last chance at happiness."_

"You're right...maybe we should just die right here. I have nothing left."

_Scarecrow tried to move, but his limbs stopped responding to him, "Well go ahead and die then, I don't need you! I have a lot of unfinished business to take care of though, so I think I'll be borrowing this body...after we rest...after this pain goes away..."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So, things are beginning to wrap up here...three guesses as to how this story finishes. I cannot fully confirm a sequel at this time due to time issues, but I am willing to work on this project more if people are supportive. If not, then my writing will be whim based and this series is likely to be put on hold until I have the will and time to write it again. I would like to thank all those who have supported it in the past for what they've done for both this story and I, so thanks again to all of you for just that. But I have other stories and characters I want to explore and I don't want to suppress that for only this one story...I even owe people stories that I promised them almost a year ago to work on, so again, I apologize.  
><em>**

**_Again, if you have any thoughts, comments, reviews, feedback, questions or anything else concerning the story, feel free to leave them below as they are much appreciated.  
><em>**

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